GIANTS PULL THE PLUG ON JONATHAN TAYLOR TRADE… BUT HARBAUGH IS KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN LIKE A GUY WAITING FOR HIS EX TO TEXT BACK!

Well, Giants fans, put down the champagne, pick up the antacids, and stop checking your phones every five minutes. The Jonathan Taylor trade talks have apparently hit the brakes. But don't get too comfortable. In the NFL, a deal can be dead on Sunday and back alive by Monday. It's almost like a New York relationship: everybody says it's over, but nobody has blocked anybody's number.

According to Giants head coach John Harbaugh, the team has pulled back its recent trade offer to the Indianapolis Colts for running back Jonathan Taylor. Fox Sports reported that Big Blue was willing to surrender a second- and fifth-round draft pick to bring Taylor to New York.

Apparently, the Giants were interested, but somebody in the front office looked at the price tag and said, "Hold on a minute. We're trying to build a football team, not buy the entire Indianapolis Colts organization!"

After the Giants' 19-11 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Harbaugh was asked about the reported offer.

"I'm not saying that report's not true. Those conversations are taking place," Harbaugh said, adding that the team isn't ruling out anything.

Translation: Don't book the parade for Taylor just yet, but don't throw away the welcome sign either.

Meanwhile, the Giants are sitting at 5-2-1 and somehow finding themselves in the driver's seat of the NFC East. Yes, you read that correctly. The Giants are actually driving the division bus. Somebody make sure they have a valid driver's license because this season has already been one wild ride.

The problem is the running back situation is starting to look like the waiting room at an orthopedic surgeon's office.

Cam Skattebo missed Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, Tyrone Tracy Jr. is on injured reserve, and Devin Singletary was left holding the keys to the backfield against Philadelphia.

Singletary finished with 31 yards on 21 carries. That's not exactly the kind of production that makes defensive coordinators wake up in a cold sweat. At that rate, the Giants might need to put a GPS tracker on the football just to make sure it actually moves forward.

And that's where Jonathan Taylor enters the conversation.

Taylor would give the Giants a legitimate weapon in the backfield. The problem is Indianapolis knows exactly what it has, and the Colts aren't interested in giving away their star running back for a couple of leftover draft picks and a handshake.

The Colts are 2-7 and reportedly in sell mode, but apparently their definition of selling is putting a giant price tag on everything and refusing to negotiate.

And Taylor isn't the only name on Harbaugh's shopping list.

The Giants have also been looking at defensive help. Harbaugh reportedly made a personal call to Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk about defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. New York had also shown interest in Washington's Daron Payne before he suffered a season-ending foot injury.

So apparently Harbaugh is shopping for running backs and defensive linemen. Somebody tell him this isn't Black Friday at the Meadowlands.

But here's the bigger issue: The Giants have already taken some serious injury hits. Starting quarterback Jaxson Dart and top pass rusher Brian Burns are out for the season. The quarterback situation has also taken another turn, with J.J. McCarthy dealing with a hip injury during Sunday's game.

At this point, the Giants' injury report looks like a reunion of the walking wounded.

Harbaugh understands that throwing away valuable draft picks for a quick fix isn't necessarily the smartest move.

"I'm not just going to go for a short-term fix at exorbitant cost. That's not where we're at," Harbaugh said.

And he's got a point. You don't mortgage your future because you're excited about a player today. That's how you wind up explaining to Giants fans three years from now why the team has no draft picks and a running back who needs a personal security detail just to get through the line of scrimmage.

But Harbaugh also made it clear that the Taylor conversation isn't completely finished.

"Things do change," he said. "Things change from day to day."

Well, John, around New York, we know all about things changing from day to day. One minute you're celebrating a victory over the Eagles, the next minute you're checking the injury report, and five minutes later you're wondering whether the team needs to call the National Guard to protect the quarterback.

Here's my take: If Jonathan Taylor can be acquired at a reasonable price, make the move. The Giants have an opportunity to make some noise in the NFC East, and you don't get opportunities like this every season.

But don't get desperate. The Colts aren't doing the Giants any favors, and Big Blue shouldn't start throwing draft picks around like they're handing out free samples at Costco.

The Giants need help, but they also need to be smart.

So for now, Taylor isn't wearing Giants blue, Harbaugh isn't closing the door, and Giants fans are left doing what they do best: refreshing their phones, arguing about trades, and convincing themselves that this might finally be the year.

One thing is certain: If the Giants pull off this deal, Taylor better bring his running shoes. In New York, we don't have patience for running backs who run out of gas, and we certainly don't have patience for another season of watching the injury report become the team's leading scorer!