Why Colts walk tightrope with Jonathan Taylor’s usage

INDIANAPOLIS — Even before the Indianapolis Colts embarked on a game-winning drive during a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons last November, running back Jonathan Taylor already had accumulated a season-high 26 rushing attempts.

Turns out, he was just getting started.

Taylor would carry the ball six more times on the ensuing 7-play, 57-yard drive. He scored the walk-off, winning touchdown with an 8-yard run with 3:36 remaining in overtime — on his 32nd carry of the day.

And at no point during the decisive drive did Colts coach Shane Steichen spend one second worrying about Taylor’s workload.

“You can feel it on the sidelines [while] calling the game when guys are rolling,” Steichen said after Taylor’s 244-yard performance. “He was rolling.”

But after the season, during which Taylor had a league-high 323 rushes, Steichen and the Colts did finally confront the wear and tear on their most explosive player. There weren’t necessarily regrets; Taylor came out of the season mostly healthy. But as the Colts ramp up for the 2026 season, their usage of Taylor is something the Colts admit they need to navigate.

There’s just one problem.

“Obviously, he’s a hell of a player,” Steichen said recently. “It’s hard to take him off the field when he’s running so good.”

The rationale is easy to understand. Taylor has rushed for 1,431 and 1,585 yards, respectively, in the past two seasons. Given his elite production, the Colts have opted to roll with Taylor even when he’s shouldering a heavier load than just about any other back.

But is all this sustainable?

Since Taylor entered the league in 2020, he’s carried the ball like few others. Only Taylor and ironman Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens have had three or more seasons of 300 or more carries in that timeframe. Taylor has done it three times — including in the past two seasons — while Henry has done it four.

Taylor, 27, had become famous for his durability over the years. He notably did not miss a game because of injury at any level until his third NFL season, even after averaging a stunning 309 carries per year in three seasons at Wisconsin. The first time he missed a practice in his life, he says, is when he caught the COVID-19 virus in 2020.

He also is renowned for his brutal offseason training regimen designed to prepare his body to handle the rigors of playing one of the game’s most physical positions.

“I’m very meticulous about my process and I just want to make sure that I’m in the best shape possible,” said Taylor, who is entering the final season of a three-year contract.

But even that hasn’t helped him avoid the inevitable injuries that come with playing running back in the NFL. He missed a combined 13 games in 2022 and 2023. He bounced back and played 31 of a possible 34 games in the past two seasons.

That’s why, in a perfect world, the Colts would like to dial back Taylor’s touches. There’s also the theory that he could be even more efficient if he’s fresher.

“We definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off him,” running backs coach DeAndre Smith said. “If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he’s just going to be that much better.

“So, it’s definitely been a constant conversation. I’m aware of it. When he’s healthy, we’ve got a chance to win every game. So, that’s always the first thing I think about: making sure he’s available every week.”

Finding those players behind Taylor has been a work in progress. Since the departure of veteran Zack Moss after the 2023 season, it’s been mostly the Jonathan Taylor Show in Indianapolis. Moss took advantage of opportunities during Taylor’s injuries in 2023 to lead the Colts in rushing with 794 yards.