Packers GM Brian Gutekunst addresses Green Bay's reported interest in Jonathan Taylor
The Green Bay Packers were revealed Wednesday to be the mystery team in on acquiring star running back Jonathan Taylor from the Indianapolis Colts.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst addressed the report from Stephen Holder of ESPN, neither confirming or denying the franchise had interest in Taylor’s services.
“Well, let’s get the checklist out,” Gutekunst said, via Pro Football Talk. “First of all, I can’t talk about players on other teams. We try to be in every conversation. So, you know, anytime we have good players available to us, we’d like to make the Green Bay Packers better and we’ll look at those opportunities. So, that’s about what I’ve got to say about that.”
While Taylor would make sense in a way for the Packers, as it would give another weapon to an offense led by first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love, Green Bay already has a crowded running back corps, featuring Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Perhaps they would’ve sent one of them to Indianapolis in the deal, or elsewhere after acquiring Taylor.
Gutekunst has confidence in his running back room, calling it the “strength of our football team.”
“We have conversations about players throughout the National Football League — players on our team, on other teams — all the time,” Gutekunst said. “People ask about our guys all the time. That’s just part of it. I can’t be running to worry about what our players think every time somebody calls and asks us because it might get out into the media. I’m not really too concerned with that.
“We have a great running back room. We’re really excited about it. I think they’re the strength of our football team. But, again, we have a lot of conversations. If people perceive it’s one thing or another, I can’t control that.”
Jonathan Taylor remains an Indianapolis Colt — for now
As for Taylor, he remains a Colt after the team’s self-imposed deadline of Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET came and went without a deal coming to fruition. Taylor, who requested a trade last month, had been granted permission to seek a trade from the Colts. He remains on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) and will miss at least the first four games of the season.
Until then, the Colts are going to work on repairing their relationship with the 2021 NFL rushing leader, which general manager Chris Ballard discussed Wednesday.
“The situation sucks,” Ballard said. “It sucks for the Colts, it sucks for Jonathan Taylor, and it sucks for the fans. It’s where we’re at, and we’re gonna work through it.”