INDIANAPOLIS – Jonathan Taylor isn’t going anywhere. For now.

Whatever trade offers the Indianapolis Colts entertained prior to Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline – that’s when rosters had to be trimmed to 53 – weren’t sufficient for general manager Chris Ballard to move his star running back.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, inquiring teams not only didn’t meet the Colts’ request for first-round or comparable draft-pick compensation, but a second-round pick wasn’t offered in any package for Taylor.

The lack of a reasonable trade offers resulted in Taylor remaining with the team that selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft.

However, Tuesday’s action – or inaction – hardly ended the impasse between the Colts and their offensive catalyst.

Far from it. A suspension shouldn’t be ruled out.

Initially, Taylor won’t be available for the Sept. 10 opener against Jacksonville or the ensuing three games. He was placed on the reserve-physically unable to perform list (PUP) while continuing his rehab from Jan. 25 surgery on his right ankle. That requires a player to miss at least four games, with pay.

The earliest Taylor can return is Oct. 8 against the Tennessee Titans.

That’s when things could escalate even further.

The Colts believe Taylor is healthy and staging a “hold-in’’ to reflect his anger over not being offered a contract extension, according to a source.

The medical staff held the same position when camp opened in late July. After missing the entirety of the team’s offseason workout program, Taylor didn’t pass his pre-camp physical and opened camp on active-PUP.

He’s in the final year of his rookie deal and due a $4.3 million base salary this season.

At some point, the team might take the drastic step of insisting Taylor take a physical. Again, the Colts hold the stance he’s fully recovered from surgery although his conditioning isn’t where it needs to be.

If he refuses and continues to assert the ankle is not fully healed, the Colts could suspend him without pay for conduct detrimental to the team. They took that action against running back Eric Dickerson in 1991.

The Colts aren’t disputing Taylor sustained a high sprain to his right ankle in early October. It bothered him the rest of the season and eventually led to him being placed on the injured reserve list. He missed six games overall, including the final three.

The injury required a debridement procedure in Green Bay on Jan. 25 by orthopedic specialist Robert Anderson. A few days later, Taylor offered an optimistic update.

“The (ankle) had a bunch of junk in there from a bunch of years,’’ he told NFL Network. “Just finally had to clean it out and make sure I’m good to go. We finally had time to get it right.

“I’m 100% ready to rock. That’s all you can ask.’’

Rehabilitation for the procedure generally is four weeks, perhaps six.

It had been widely reported the Miami Dolphins, along with another team, had shown significant interest in acquiring Taylor. Tuesday’s decision reaffirmed the Colts weren’t simply going to discard him for modest compensation.

His relationship with the Colts began to deteriorate in the spring once they informed the NFL’s 2021 rushing champion they would not sign him to an extension. Taylor is in the final year of his rookie contract and due a base salary of $4.3 million.

Taylor requested a trade, which Jim Irsay quickly dismissed after meeting with his disgruntled player following a one-hour meeting at the owner’s luxury motor home on July 29 at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.

“We will not trade Jonathan Taylor,’’ Irsay told FOX59/CBS4. “That is a certainty.

“Not now or not in October. That is a certainty.’’

The Colts subsequently allowed Taylor to seek a trade partner on Aug. 21. Two days later, they gave him a deadline of Tuesday – NFL cut day – to finalize a trade.

This marks the next step in a once-budding relationship that has steadily devolved.

Now, the Colts and Taylor must find a way to coexist, although trade speculation undoubtedly will persist until the NFL’s Oct. 31 trade deadline.

The team has viewed Taylor as a lethal running threat with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson in first-year coach Shane Steichen’s offense. Imagine a defensive coordinator game-planning for a 6-4, 250-pound rookie quarterback (Richardson) with 4.43 speed working alongside a running back who runs the 40 in 4.41 (Taylor).

“We’re hoping to create the perfect storm with (Richardson) and Jonathan Taylor and that offense,’’ Irsay said during the draft.

Taylor is 24 and two seasons removed from generating the greatest season by a Colts running back. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2021 after leading the NFL in rushing with a franchise-record 1,811 yards and a league-best 2,171 yards from scrimmage.

In three seasons and 43 games, Taylor has rushed for 3,841 yards – No. 10 in franchise history – and 33 touchdowns. His 5.1 career rushing average is a club record and the best in NFL history in a back’s first three seasons. He set team records with 253 yards against Jacksonville in the final game of his rookie season with five total touchdowns – four rushing, one receiving – against Buffalo in 2021.

Before things went sideways, there was speculation the Colts would indeed sign Taylor to an extension.

When Ballard offered his synopsis of the Colts’ disastrous 4-12-1 2022 season on January 10, he was asked whether it was prudent to re-sign Taylor or any player considering the state of the franchise.

“When they’re great players it is,’’ he said. “When they’re a special player, it is.

“I’m not gonna get into what we’re gonna do contract-wise with (Taylor), but when you’re a special player and a special playmaker, yeah.’’

Taylor seemed to accept whatever the team’s decision would be heading into his contract year when he talked with the media as the offseason program opened in April.

“I’m under contract for four years,’’ he said. “I put pen to paper. I made an obligation to them. They made an obligation to me.’’

However, if there were serious considerations internally to treat Taylor as they had done with others – Shaquille Leonard, Braden Smith, Grover Stewart, Nyheim Hines, etc. – the Colts had a change of heart.

And here we are.

You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.