Jonathan Taylor

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor isn't expected to practice Thursday but remains optimistic that his ankle sprain isn't too serious.

He and the team have yet to finalize his status for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported on Monday that Taylor was dealing with a sprained ankle and might be out of action for a time, though he avoided a more serious injury.

The 25-year-old battled persistent ankle trouble throughout the 2022 season, which necessitated surgery after the year concluded. His recovery from the procedure extended into the start of the following season and he missed the first four games.

As shown earlier in Taylor's career, high ankle sprains often keep a player off the field for multiple weeks and extending to a month or more.

While it's good news if the 2021 All-Pro isn't sidelined for that long, a recurrence of his ankle issues is concerning. The injury potentially disrupts what has been a strong start as well. Taylor has run for 349 yards and four touchdowns through two games.

The Colts are probably drawing up contingency plans for Sunday if their starting running back remains an uncertainty to this point.

Trey Sermon is the backup in Indy's unofficial depth chart, but he has carried the ball just nine times so far. Third-stringer Tyler Goodson has yet to register a carry period.

Especially with quarterback Anthony Richardson (hip) limited in practice, it could be tough sledding for the offense if Taylor is out.

Anthony Richardson wasn't the only Indianapolis Colts player to suffer an injury in the team's Week 4 win.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that running back Jonathan Taylor had been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain in the 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rapoport reported that the sprain is believed to be "mild" and that a source close with the team said that Taylor is "okay."

Taylor had a strong day, with 21 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown while also adding 20 receiving yards on three catches.

Losing Taylor for a few games would be devastating for an offense that looks to be heading in the right direction. After dropping the first two games of the year, Indianapolis has won two straight and Taylor has been a major reason for that. He has 349 yards and four touchdowns thus far.

Richardson left the game early after suffering a hip injury and was replaced by Joe Flacco. While the 38-year-old is a strong backup option, losing a developing playmaker like Richardson is already hard and potentially adding Taylor to that list would be very tough to deal with.

The Colts will hope Taylor will be ready to go in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If not, the team will look to Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson to carry the load.

Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson is shouldering the blame for the team's 0-2 start to the 2024 season, but wise words from a veteran teammate should help shift his mindset.

Star running back Jonathan Taylor told team reporter Amanda Foster that he's advised Richardson not to beat himself up amid the Colts' slow start because it takes an entire team effort to be successful.

"Just let him know like 'Hey, it takes all of us, you know, it's not all on you,'" Taylor said Thursday. "And of course, being at the helm, the quarterback position, a lot of the spotlight is on you, but it's the greatest team sport."

Through the first two weeks of the season, Richardson threw for 416 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions while completing just 49.1 percent of his passes. He's also added 93 rushing yards and a touchdown, ranking second on the team behind Taylor's 150 rushing yards.

The 22-year-old had one of the best plays of the year so far with his 60-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce in Week 1, but he surely would've preferred to do it in a winning effort.

While Richardson is still trying to find a groove, Taylor knows he's not alone in his struggles this year. The Colts defense has allowed an average of 400 yards per game, ranking 31st in the NFL entering Week 3.

"It takes all of us, offense, defense and special teams in order to get the win," Taylor added. "So you definitely don't want him to carry that on his shoulders, and you let him know he doesn't have to. And he won't."

Richardson and the Colts will try to turn things around when they host the 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor took an extra step to prevent a concussion or head injury during Sunday's preseason game against the Denver Broncos.

Taylor donned a guardian cap, which are now approved for use during games in the 2024 season:

As James Boyd of The Athletic noted, Colts tight end Kylen Granson also wore a guardian cap during Sunday's contest against the Broncos.

So did Pittsburgh Steelers right guard James Daniels during Saturday's loss to the Houston Texans.

"My head doesn't hurt, so that's good," Daniels said in the aftermath, per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "…Hopefully more and more people start wearing them."

In April, Kevin Seifert of ESPN explained the NFL mandated players at certain positions to wear the padded headgear during training camp in 2022 and 2023. However, the upcoming season is the first one where players are allowed to use the guardian caps during regular-season games.

Seifert noted NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said the league's data revealed the guardian caps reduced concussions by nearly 50 percent when players wore them during training camps the previous two years.

As for Taylor, he finished with two carries for four yards in the first half against the Broncos.

Having had a close look at Jonathan Taylor's offseason workout to prepare for the upcoming season, Frank Gore is extremely optimistic about the star running back's fantasy outlook in 2024.

Gore told ESPN he "won't be surprised" if Taylor hits the 2,000-yard mark for the Indianapolis Colts if he stays healthy.

"If he stays healthy, I won't be surprised if he gets 2,000 [yards]," Gore said. "With his ability and with the way he moves, it's crazy. I already knew he was fast. But what I like is how he moves in small spaces, man. I didn't think he had that."

Gore hosted a group of running backs in Florida during the offseason to offer advice on how he prepared his body to sustain a 16-year NFL career. They all took part in workouts, with Taylor being a clear standout.

"Training with [Taylor], you could see it. He's got even better. JT is built different, man," Gore added.

Taylor had the least-productive season of his career in 2023 due to a combination of factors. The two main issues were a contract dispute with the Colts that kept him out for their first four games and a thumb injury that cost him three games in December.

Dating back to the 2022 season, Taylor has only played a total of 21 games. He's been effective in those games with 1,898 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns.

But those numbers don't reflect that of the top-tier fantasy running back that Taylor was in 2021. He led the NFL in rushing attempts (332), rushing yards (1,811), yards from scrimmage (2,171) and total touchdowns (20).

Taylor was the No. 1 running back and No. 6 overall player in PPR leagues during the 2021 season. His 373.1 total points was nearly 30 more than any other running back (Austin Ekeler: 343.8).

Per FantasyPros.com, Taylor is currently the sixth running back coming off the board in fantasy drafts with an average draft position of 12. Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall, Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley are the five backs going ahead of him.

Running for 2,000 yards is an extremely optimistic prediction. Only eight players in NFL history have ever hit that mark. Taylor was unable to get there when he was the focal point for the offense three years ago.

Head coach Shane Steichen isn't afraid to rely heavily on the running game to carry the offense, but quarterback Anthony Richardson figures to take some of the attempts away from Taylor.

Richardson's 6.3 rushing attempts per game last season ranked seventh among all quarterbacks. He only played in five games before a shoulder injury that required surgery ended his rookie campaign.

It's possible the injury issues Richardson had last season could make Steichen reluctant to give him the ball on designed runs at the same rate in 2024, but that would take away a huge weapon for the offense since he can run the 40 in 4.4 seconds.

Even if Taylor doesn't hit the projection that Gore thinks he can, there are plenty of reasons to expect a big season from the 25-year-old. He doesn't have to worry about any contract issues and plays for a very good head coach who has a strong track record as an offensive playcaller.

Jonathan Taylor had an epic season back in 2021, leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,811) and rushing scores (18) en route to a legendary fantasy season.

Injuries have limited him to just 21 games since, however, but at least one AFC executive is expecting Taylor to return to elite status this season.

"Expecting a huge year from him," they told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Still an impact player."

Both the Colts and fantasy owners will be hoping the 2021 version of Taylor makes a return. There's no reason the 25-year-old can't be highly effective if he manages to stay healthy.

Health will be key for a Colts offense that has somewhat quietly built a very solid offense around second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Alongside Taylor in the backfield, the Colts will feature wideouts Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and rookie second-rounder Adonai Mitchell.

If Richardson and Taylor can stay on the field, the Colts could make some real noise in the AFC South, and fantasy players will profit.