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NFL Legends Make Case for Bengals to Trade for NFL All-Pro Before Deadline

Will the Bengals make the trade?

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) smiles as he leaves the field after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The Bengals improved to 3-2 on the season with a 31-24 win on the road. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bengals are one of several teams "aggressively" pursuing Colts running back Jonathan Taylor according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Bengals should add Taylor for plenty of reasons, given his elite ability and their lack of run-game production. Future Hall of Famer and current CBS Sports announcer J.J. Watt chimed in on the fit for Taylor in Cincinnati and why it makes more sense than any other trade destination.

"I really do believe the Cincinnati Bengals make sense for a guy like him because of what their offense has in terms of the passing game and they just haven't been able to get going on the ground," Watt said on the CBS "Set Hut" show

Taylor has shined as one of the only bright spots of a subpar Colts roster in Indianapolis with 812 total yards and eight touchdowns on 169 touches. Meanwhile, Chase Brown and Samaje Perine have combined for 735 yards and three scores on 173 touches for the Bengals so far this season.

While those stats look similar, the difference is night and day in terms of who the bigger threat is on the field. Taylor is a threat to score every time he touches the ball as evidenced from his 40 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

Others Believe Taylor Fits With the Bengals

Oct 4, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) reacts after the game against the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Watt is not alone in believing the Bengals should target Taylor. Bengals legend Cris Collinsworth and his son Jac pointed out that the team is in a position to fix a glaring hole, similar to how the Bears traded for Jeffery Simmons.

"With what Jeffery Simmons did in that game the other day for the Chicago Bears, who can match that, and can you do it with the guys that you currently have on your roster or are you now forced to do what the Bears did, which is to go out and fix that glaring hole on your football team," Collinsworth asked.

Collinsworth pointed to the Pro Football Focus grades of the Bengals' offensive line and the success of the new defensive additions as reasons to go all in and acquire Taylor.

"Dalton Risner is coming off an 80.0 grade, Amarius Mims coming off a 75.2 grade," Collinsworth said. "Now with the defense and Dexter Lawrence comes in and Boye Mafe comes in and the Bengals make moves that they've just never made, it's right now, it's this year, so go do it."

After sending the 10th overall pick to Dexter Lawrence this offseason and adding other pieces to the defense to complement the offense, the Bengals must now continue their all-in approach. Acquiring Taylor would potentially add another dynamic facet to the offense, similar to that of Colts Hall of Famer Edgerrin James.

James consistently created big plays for the Colts alongside Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne in the early 2000s, helping field some of the greatest offenses the NFL has ever seen.

Taylor could create that same dynamic in Cincinnati in an offense featuring Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. The most important part of that dynamic is that the Bengals offense could efficiently run the ball and close out games down the stretch.

The trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10 at 4 pm ET.

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