Taylor's 2022 was marred by an early-season high-ankle sprain that seemed to linger and ultimately required surgery. The collapse of the once-dominant Colts offensive line, poor quarterback play and the interim coaching situation didn't help either. Taylor, who averaged just 13.3 PPR points per game last year (18th-most among RBs), will come back to an offense with a new head coach (Shane Steichen) and a new starting QB (rookie Anthony Richardson, presumably). Indy's offense may not do much through the air but Taylor has a shot at a jump in efficiency playing alongside a rushing threat like Richardson. That sounds great for Taylor's yardage numbers, but Fantasy managers should make sure he's practicing regularly this preseason -- he didn't practice at all this offseason due to that ankle surgery. When he's right, Taylor is a surefire Round 1 pick.
Coach Shane Steichen told reporters Thursday that he has no update on Taylor, who officially remains on the active/PUP list due to an ankle issue, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
An ongoing contract dispute and recent trade request have led to speculation that Taylor is healthy enough to practice, though Steichen suggested Monday that the running back hasn't actually been cleared by the medical staff. Taylor hasn't said much publicly, other than denying a report from Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis that said the 24-year-old suffered a back injury while working out on his own and thus might be placed on the non-football injury list. It's a complicated situation with no clear solution in sight, and it's certainly possible a slower-than-hoped-for recovery from offseason ankle surgery remains a factor in Taylor's absence. The running back was present for Thursday's practice, watching from the sideline as he has for the past week-plus.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Situation addressed by coach
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When discussing Taylor (ankle), who is on the active/PUP list, coach Shane Steichen noted Monday "right now (the running back) is on this football team, and when the medical staff clears him, he should be out there," Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star reports.
Per NFL.com, reports surfaced Sunday that the Colts were believed to be contemplating placing Taylor (who is bouncing back from an ankle injury) on the non-football injury list due to a back issue. The running back subsequently denied that he was dealing with any sort of back injury, while, for his part, Steichen noted "(Taylor is) just dealing with something right now, and I'm going to refrain from getting into that." Either way, things remain contentious between Taylor and the team after his recent trade request, which Colts owner Jim Irsay says the franchise doesn't plan to act on, and there's no timetable for his potential return to the field. In addition to Taylor's ongoing absence, the Colts' backfield depth was further depleted Monday when No. 2 back Zack Moss suffered a broken arm that threatens his Week 1 status. Indy's top available RB options are Deon Jackson and Evan Hull, with Jake Funk and Zavier Scott also in the mix.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Could be placed on NFI list
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The Colts are considering placing Taylor on the non-football injury list due to a back injury that he sustained during the offseason, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
Taylor began training camp on the active/PUP list after failing to pass his pre-camp physical. He's been rehabbing from January ankle surgery and is also dealing with a back injury that he sustained while working out on his own during the offseason. In addition to his health concerns, Taylor formally requested a trade after meeting with Colts owner Jim Irsay on Saturday. Irsay has indicated that the Colts don't plan to trade Taylor this year, but it's unclear when the 24-year-old will be able to practice. The Colts wouldn't be obligated to pay Taylor during the 2023 season if he doesn't play due to a non-football injury, and his contract would carry over to the 2024 campaign, which would complicate his contract situation even more as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. Irsay has said that the team isn't currently discussing an extension with the star running back.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Not yet practicing
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Taylor (ankle) isn't participating at Friday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
The 24-year-old relayed in April that the arthroscopic debridement surgery he underwent on his right ankle in January was a "perfect success," but he's apparently not yet ready to practice. Taylor missed the final three games of the season due to the ankle injury, and the Colts are likely to remain cautious with his offseason work. He's expected to be fully healthy for the start of training camp.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: No decision on surgery yet
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Taylor (ankle) said Monday he will meet with doctors to decide about the possibility of undergoing surgery, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Taylor missed the final three games of the season due to a right high-ankle sprain, and it sounds as though a decision on whether or not the injury necessitates surgery hasn't yet been made. Through his 11 appearances in 2022, Taylor racked up 861 yards and four touchdowns on 192 carries, with another 28 catches (on 40 targets) for 143 yards. The running back's situation in Indianapolis could look very different to start the 2023 campaign, health not withstanding. With three seasons under his belt, Taylor now is looking ahead to the final year of his rookie deal.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Going to injured reserve
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The Colts placed Taylor (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.
This comes as no surprise after Taylor suffered a high-ankle sprain during Saturday's 39-36 loss at Minnesota. He's been tending to issues with his right ankle all season, and with three absences to come down the stretch, he'll end up missing six contests overall. In his 11 games of work, though, Taylor racked up 192 carries for 861 yards and four touchdowns and 28 catches (on 40 targets) for 143 yards. Moving forward, Indianapolis will turn to the backfield duo of Zack Moss and Deon Jackson to continue churning out production on the ground.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Likely done for season
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Taylor was diagnosed with right high-ankle sprain after exiting Saturday's 39-36 overtime loss to the Vikings and is considered highly unlikely to play again this season, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Taylor is scheduled to meet with doctors over the next day or two before Indianapolis decides on his status for the final three regular-season games, but with the 4-9-1 Colts on the cusp of being eliminated from the playoffs, there's little incentive to expose their franchise running back to further injury. Assuming Taylor is sidelined for the next three weeks, he'll finish the 2022 campaign with 861 rushing yards and four scores on the ground to go with 28 receptions for 143 yards on 40 targets over his 11 appearances. The Colts appear set to proceed with Zack Moss as their top early-down back and Deon Jackson as their top change-of-pace option the rest of the way.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Sprains ankle, return up in air
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Taylor has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle following Sunday's 39-36 overtime loss at Minnesota, and while the injury isn't considered to be a major one, it's unclear whether or not he'll be able to suit up for any of the Colts' final three games of the season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Taylor made an early exit from Week 15 action with a right ankle injury that didn't allow him to return and contained him to one catch (on one target) for 13 yards. In his place, Zack Moss racked up 24 carries for 81 yards, and Deon Jackson notched 13 rushes for 55 yards and caught his only target for a one-yard score. Assuming Taylor sits out at least a Week 16 matchup with the Chargers on Monday, Dec. 26, the duo of Moss and Jackson are poised for bigger workloads in the short term and potentially in both Weeks 17 and 18 as well.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Won't return Saturday
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Taylor (ankle) won't return to Saturday's game against the Vikings, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.
With Taylor sidelined for the rest of the contest, Deon Jackson and Zack Moss are now slated to handle the Colts' backfield touches versus Minnesota. Taylor will now target a potential return to action when Indianapolis faces the Chargers in Week 16, a week from Monday.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Sluggish but finds end zone
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Taylor ran for 84 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries against Philadelphia on Sunday.
Taylor added three catches for 10 yards on four targets but also lost a crucial fumble in the 17-16 loss. It initially looked like Taylor would run wild in this game, but after a strong opening drive, the Eagles mostly shut him down from that point. The Eagles doubtlessly paid extra attention to the run -- something they could do with impunity since Darius Slay and James Bradberry are so good at cornerback -- so Taylor was more imposing than the box score might imply at a glance. Hopefully he'll find more room to run against Pittsburgh in Week 12.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Suiting up Week 10
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Taylor (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Raiders after practicing as a full participant Thursday and Friday.
A sprained ankle and a subsequent aggravation have kept Taylor from playing in three of the Colts' last five games, but his ability to practice fully on consecutive days to close out Week 10 prep appears to put him in a good spot on the health front as Sunday's contest approaches. Taylor should reclaim his usual role as the Colts' lead back in his return to the lineup, and the team may not have the luxury of easing him back in with a lighter workload while top backup Deon Jackson (knee) is out for the contest. The Colts have the newly acquired Zack Moss on hand and could bring up another running back from the practice squad to provide additional depth at the position, but expect Taylor to dominate the snaps and touches Sunday.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: At practice Wednesday
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Taylor (ankle) was present for Wednesday's practice, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Taylor didn't practice last week before being ruled out in advance of Sunday's loss to the Patriots, but his presence at Wednesday's session is a positive indicator for his status ahead of this weekend's contest versus the Raiders. The Colts will release their first official Week 10 injury report later Wednesday, when the extent of the running back's participation in practice will be clarified.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Still not practicing
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Taylor (ankle) wasn't present for Thursday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Taylor also sat out practice Wednesday, so his status for Sunday's game against the Patriots is firmly in question at the moment. In Taylor's absence from Thursday's session, Deon Jackson and Zack Moss were on the field along with practice-squad members Phillip Lindsay and Jordan Wilkins.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Returns after injury scare
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Taylor carried the ball 16 times for 76 yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Commanders.
Taylor was briefly sidelined early in the game by an ankle injury, though he returned to the field to dominate work out of the Colts' backfield. He was held in check for the vast majority of the game, though he did manage a 27-yard rush late in the first quarter to set up the team's first score of the game. Though Taylor appears to have avoided serious injury, Nyheim Hines was used at the goal line early in the fourth quarter -- perhaps an indication that Taylor was not at full strength. Taylor's practice status will be worth monitoring heading into a Week 9 matchup against the Patriots.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Totals 85 yards in return
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Taylor recorded 10 rushes for 58 yards in Sunday's 19-10 Week 7 loss to the Colts. He added seven receptions on eight targets for 27 yards.
Taylor returned from a two-game absence to tally 85 total yards. While his rushing volume was limited by game script, Taylor still accounted for 10 of the team's 16 rushing attempts by running backs. He was able to make up some of his lost volume through the air, tallying a season best in targets, receptions and yards. While Taylor appeared to be relatively healthy, there may be some concern about his ability to produce moving forward given the poor state of the Indianapolis offense.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Returns to full practice
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Taylor (ankle) was listed as a full practice participant Thursday.
With that, Taylor appears to be trending toward a return to action Sunday against the Titans, barring any setbacks. That said, it's still worth circling back on his status Friday to verify whether the running back heads into the weekend with a Week 7 injury designation or fully cleared to play this weekend.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Making progress
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Taylor (ankle) indicated that he "felt good" after logging a limited practice Wednesday, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports.
Taylor, who practiced in a limited fashion Thursday and Friday last week, acknowledged that at that stage he "just wasn't moving right." Following Wednesday's session, the running back appears to be trending in the right direction, but Taylor likely will need to practice fully by Friday in order to avoid a Week 7 injury designation.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Practicing Wednesday
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Taylor (ankle) was spotted on the field at practice Wednesday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Both Nyheim Hines (concussion) and Deon Jackson (quadriceps) were also seen on the field Wednesday, which suggests that all three could be available this weekend against the Titans. The Colts will release their first Week 7 injury report later Wednesday, which will reveal the trio's official participation level. Taylor logged limited practices Thursday and Friday last week before missing his second straight game this past Sunday against the Jaguars.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Will not play Sunday
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Taylor (ankle) has been downgraded to out ahead of Sunday's game against the Jaguars.
Despite practicing in limited fashion both Thursday and Friday, the star running back evidently wasn't able to recover enough to suit up in Sunday's contest. Nyheim Hines was also downgraded to out due to his Week 5 concussion meaning Deon Jackson is likely set to start Sunday, with a combination of Phillip Lindsay and D'Vonte Price also chipping in.
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Colts' Jonathan Taylor: Questionable for Week 6
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Taylor (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jaguars after practicing in a limited fashion both Thursday and Friday.
After sitting out the Colts' Week 5 win over the Broncos with the sprained right ankle, Taylor took some steps forward in his recovery from the injury by getting back on the field Thursday and Friday. Colts head coach Frank Reich hasn't yet indicated whether the limited participation will be enough for Taylor to gain clearance for Sunday's contest, but additional reports on the running back's status should trickle before Indianapolis has to release its Week 6 inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Top backup Nyheim Hines is also listed as questionable after exiting early in the Week 5 win with a concussion, but he practiced fully Friday and has just one more step to clear in the NFL's protocol for head injuries in order to play Sunday, according to Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis. Deon Jackson is the lone healthy back on the 53-man roster at the moment, but the Colts will likely promote another back from the practice squad no later than Saturday if the team is truly concerned about the availability of either or both of Taylor and Hines.
