It was always a long shot for All-Pro Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor to go Thursday night against the Denver Broncos. The NFL’s leading rusher from a season ago suffered an ankle injury in the Colts’ loss to Tennessee on Sunday. And while there was hope he’d be able to go, Indianapolis has ruled Taylor out for the mid-week affair.
“The Colts on Wednesday ruled out safety Julian Blackmon (ankle) and running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) for their Week 5 game against the Denver Broncos Thursday night at Empower Field at Mile High,” Indianapolis announced on Wednesday, via its official website.
This is an absolutely massive blow for a Colts team that has struggled to a 1-2-1 start to the 2022 season under suddently-embattled head coach Frank Reich. Losing one of the only reliable skill-position players for Matt Ryan against a top-end Broncos defense doesn’t bode well.
Related: Jonthan Taylor and the NFL Week 5 injury report
Impact of the Indianapolis Colts being without Jonathan Taylor for Week 5
Taylor, 23, led the NFL in rushing a season ago with 1,811 yards on the ground. He also topped all ball-carriers with 332 rush attempts and 18 scores while racking up 2,171 total yards en route to finishing second behind Cooper Kupp for NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
- Jonathan Taylor stats (2022): 328 rushing yards, 4.0 average, 1 TD
As you can see, it’s been a tougher go at it for Taylor in 2022. That’s primarily because defenses have been able to stack the box due to Indianapolis’ limited passing game.
With Taylor out of action Thursday, Indianapolis will turn to Nyheim Hines as its featured back. The former fourth-round pick from North Carolina State has put up just 11 yards on eight rush attempts through four games this season. He has added 17 receptions for 113 yards through the air.