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Less than a day after Stephen Holder, who covers the Colts for ESPN, raised the possibility of running back Jonathan Taylor requesting a trade, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Taylor has indeed requested a trade.

As Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio notes, the news comes after Taylor and owner Jim Irsay met on Irsay’s bus, and after Irsay said there are still no plans to extend Taylor’s contract.

For what it's worth, a source told Holder after his meeting with Irsary that Taylor actually requested a trade several days ago.

Irsay subsequently texted SI.com's Albert Breer, offering the following: “We’re not trading Jonathan... end of discussion. Not now and not in October!”

What the Colts say matters. Taylor has no real leverage, given that he has reported to training camp. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it’s much harder for a player to leave after he has reported.

That said, there could be an out here.

Florio reminded readers that Colts G.M Chris Ballard previously has echoed the mantra from Steelers coach Mike Tomlin that “we want volunteers, not hostages.”

“Mike Tomlin says it best,” Ballard explained in 2022. “I always say, ‘You want volunteers.’ You want people that want to be here. So when you get a player who doesn’t want to be in your organization anymore, you can play hardball -- which sometimes we all do -- but you want volunteers. You want people who want to be here.

Taylor no longer volunteers.

So will the Colts now seek trade partners?

Does it matter?

After all, as Florio wrote prior to this news breaking, a trade wouldn't mean Taylor gets the contract he wants.

"That’s part of the reality of the position," Florio explained. "Typically, the great ones get their financial rewards from the teams for which they have played great, since there’s a certain amount of fan equity that comes from, say, 1,811 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in a single season. In a new city and with a new team, Taylor would be starting from scratch, which means the new team would have to believe he’s truly ready to claw out multiple special seasons."

But short of the Colts changing their mind on dealing him, beyond demanding a trade, there’s nothing Taylor can do to force it.

We'll continue to watch for more.