With training camp getting closer, the Colts’ running back room has one question hanging over it: can Jonathan Taylor get the kind of support that lets the whole offense breathe again?
The spotlight may naturally drift toward the battle for RB2, but the bigger issue is how Daniel Jones’ return could change the temperature of the run game. Taylor was a force during Indianapolis’ hot start in 2025, piling up 1,139 rushing yards through 10 games - 114 per game - while tracking toward nearly 2,000 yards. He also found the end zone 15 times on the ground.
That production didn’t hold once Jones was out with a fibula injury and then after his season ended with the Achilles injury. From Weeks 12 through 18, Taylor never got past 100 rushing yards in a game. According to PFF, he also finished below 4.0 yards per carry in six of those seven contests.
The change at quarterback mattered. Once Phillip Rivers stepped in, the Colts leaned more heavily on shotgun looks and tried to spread defenses out. Opponents responded by crowding the box, not concerned about Rivers beating them deep.
That combination made life hard on the ground.
For Indianapolis, the run game isn’t just a side plot. It’s the engine that keeps the offense on schedule.
When the Colts can run the ball well, they stay ahead of the sticks and avoid obvious passing downs. That gives Shane Steichen more room to work and creates cleaner chances in the passing game.
So while Jones’ return is the headline, the ripple effect is what matters most. Better looks for Taylor should lead to a stronger rushing attack, and that should open things up for Jones through the air. In the end, the whole Colts offense stands to gain.
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Latest Seahawks Twist Has Colts Fans Thinking Bigger Than Football
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There is also the football side of the equation, and that is where the unease really lingers. Chris Ballard remains in place after nine seasons as general manager, the Colts have had limited playoff success under his watch, and the current ownership group has kept both Ballard and Shane Steichen despite the pressure that comes with uneven results. So when a high-profile team sale lands in the news, it is no surprise that some Colts supporters start wondering whether the discussion should be about more than just the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Running Back Battle Is Bigger Than Fans Think Behind Taylor
With training camp approaching, the Colts running back room looks more settled at the top than it does everywhere else. Jonathan Taylor is the clear anchor, and Indianapolis usually heads into the season with three backs on the 53-man roster, which means the real intrigue is in how the rest of the depth chart takes shape behind him.
DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan are the names most likely to fill those backup roles, but nothing is guaranteed once camp and preseason games start sorting out the pecking order. Ulysses Bentley, Lincoln Pare and Anderson Castle are also in the mix, so what looks like a straightforward position battle on paper could turn into one of the more interesting roster decisions the Colts have to make this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Got A Warning About Where Shane Steichen's Season Is Heading
The Colts are heading into another season with the same uncomfortable backdrop that has followed them for years: no playoff berth in five seasons, and Shane Steichen still looking for a breakthrough in his first three years at the controls. ESPNs latest roster rankings did Indianapolis no favors either, slotting the team 20th in the league and leaving it in the bottom half of the NFL, behind both of its AFC South rivals.
For a team trying to climb out of the middle, that kind of placement is a reminder that progress is not guaranteed just because the calendar flips. The Colts have shown they can flash real momentum, but the margin for error remains thin, and the pressure around the franchise only grows if the next step is more of the same. [Read more 🡒]