The Indianapolis Colts were dealt a massive blow on Saturday night when it was reported that Jonathan Taylor had requested a trade off of the team. Apparently, though, Taylor made his trade request a few days before it became public knowledge, and the initial response wasn't a stern “no” like the one he received from team owner Jim Irsay shortly after the news came out.

Taylor has made it clear throughout the offseason that he is looking for a new contract, and while he reported for training camp, he was quickly placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, indicating that he wasn't going to practice until he got a new deal. Taylor's trade request is known now, but it turns out he told the Colts a few days earlier, and didn't receive a definitive answer from general manager Chris Ballard.

This is an interesting development that bears watching as Taylor's trade request unfolds. Ballard doesn't seem to have as much resistance to trading Taylor as Irsay does, which could create an issue for the front office. Will Ballard follow Irsay's lead here, or will he push for the team to trade Taylor and recoup some value for him if they aren't going to hand him a new deal?

There's a lot to unpack surrounding Taylor's status and trade request, but the situation may not be as clear cut as Irsay is making it seem. Taylor has no intention of suiting for the Colts again unless he gets a new contract, and while Indy doesn't seem to be willing to trade him, that could end up changing in the near future.