Jonathan Taylor’s disappointing season will take another dip on Sunday as the third-year running back misses yet another game with a nagging ankle injury that has kept him out from two previous games this year.
Taylor did not participate in either of the Colts’ practices on Wednesday or Thursday, casting into doubt whether he would play vs. the Patriots in Week 9. His absence on Friday all but confirmed it, which coach Frank Reich did in meeting with reporters.
Taylor has 107 rushes for 462 yards (4.32 yards per carry) in six games this season. His only game of 100 or more yards came in Week 1, when he rushed 31 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. He has not scored or eclipsed 100 yards in any of the games since.
Taylor also missed Weeks 5 and 6 with an ankle injury, breaking one of the NFL’s more impressive active iron-man streaks. That’s little more than a distant memory as the Indianapolis running back misses his third game in five weeks.
MORE: Jonathan Taylor’s lifelong ironman streak ends vs. Broncos on ‘Thursday Night Football’
Here’s everything you need to know about Taylor’s status ahead of the Sunday game at New England:
Jonathan Taylor injury update
Taylor will miss Sunday’s game at New England with an ankle injury. It’s the same nagging issue that has plagued him since Indianapolis’ Week 4 loss to the Titans in which he had his right ankle rolled up on by Tennessee’s Teair Tart.
He missed the following two weeks against the Broncos and Jaguars before returning in Weeks 7 and 8 vs. the Titans and Commanders, respectively. He combined for 26 rushes and 134 yards (5.15 ypc) and no touchdowns. He also had seven catches for 27 yards.
Reich on Friday said Taylor’s injury is not significant enough to warrant placing him on Injured Reserve (mandating he miss at least four weeks). Reich characterized the injury as “week-to-week.” Per Zak Keefer of The Athletic:
No plans to put Jonathan Taylor on IR at this point, per Frank Reich. It’s more of a week-to-week thing at this point.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) November 4, 2022
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Colts RB depth chart
Taylor’s absence from Sunday’s game likely means Deon Jackson and Zack Moss will split carries for the Colts vs. New England.
Jackson ranks second on the team this season with 30 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown. Moss, who was involved in a trade between the Colts and Bills, is listed as third in the depth chart for Indianapolis this week. He has 17 rushes for 91 yards, adding seven receptions for 27 yards.
Nyheim Hines, formerly the team’s No. 2 running back, is now with the Bills via the aforementioned trade: The Colts sent him to Buffalo in return for Moss and a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick.
