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Coming in at No. 3 on the Indianapolis Colts' 12 Most Important Players of 2026 list is RB Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor had arguably the best season of his career and one of the most prolific in franchise history in 2025.
He led the NFL in carries (323), rushing first downs (84), rushing touchdowns (18), and total touchdowns (20). He was second in touches (369), and No. 3 in rushing yards (1,585), and yards from scrimmage (1,963), eighth among running backs in receiving first downs (15), and tied for 10th in yards per carry (4.9).
This wasn't just lightning in a bottle, though. Taylor has been consistently excellent while healthy since being drafted in 2020, capturing the team's single-game rushing record as a rookie (253) and the single-season rushing record the next year (1,811).
READ MORE: Colts' Playmakers Earn Respectable Marks, With Room to Grow
Taylor's 2025 season produced the fourth-most rushing yards in franchise history, and he also became the team's all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns (69) in the process.
Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker produced a list of the top 10 players in explosive plays over the last five years, which count as either a 10-yard rush or 15-yard reception, and Taylor came in at No. 5 on the list with 181 such plays.
"Taylor was an MVP candidate during the Colts’ red-hot start to 2025, yet it still feels like he’s underrated among his running back peers," Locker wrote. "Over his last five seasons, Taylor has netted 161 explosive rushes and 20 such catches.
READ MORE: Colts' Shane Steichen Listed On Hot Seat: Playoffs or Bust?
"Part of why Taylor has helped churn out such an abundance of yardage is his work slipping tackles. Since 2021, Taylor has forced 238 missed tackles, which places fourth at his position. That included a career-high 67 attempts eluded in 2025, which ranked third."
Big plays have become a hallmark of Taylor's game throughout his career. Although he is 5'10", 226, which would indicate he's a power back, he has legitimate track speed and averages 33.2 runs of 10-plus yards per season in his six-year career. Even more impressive is that he's only played two full seasons.
"Obviously, JT being so special once he does get into that space, you’ve got to be careful trying to make the big play happen with a great block or a great run, or a great anything," Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter recently said about Taylor's big plays. "You’ve just got to sort of churn out those consistent runs, and then the big runs come."
Continue reading...
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor had arguably the best season of his career and one of the most prolific in franchise history in 2025.
He led the NFL in carries (323), rushing first downs (84), rushing touchdowns (18), and total touchdowns (20). He was second in touches (369), and No. 3 in rushing yards (1,585), and yards from scrimmage (1,963), eighth among running backs in receiving first downs (15), and tied for 10th in yards per carry (4.9).
This wasn't just lightning in a bottle, though. Taylor has been consistently excellent while healthy since being drafted in 2020, capturing the team's single-game rushing record as a rookie (253) and the single-season rushing record the next year (1,811).
READ MORE: Colts' Playmakers Earn Respectable Marks, With Room to Grow
Taylor's 2025 season produced the fourth-most rushing yards in franchise history, and he also became the team's all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns (69) in the process.
Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker produced a list of the top 10 players in explosive plays over the last five years, which count as either a 10-yard rush or 15-yard reception, and Taylor came in at No. 5 on the list with 181 such plays.
"Taylor was an MVP candidate during the Colts’ red-hot start to 2025, yet it still feels like he’s underrated among his running back peers," Locker wrote. "Over his last five seasons, Taylor has netted 161 explosive rushes and 20 such catches.
READ MORE: Colts' Shane Steichen Listed On Hot Seat: Playoffs or Bust?
"Part of why Taylor has helped churn out such an abundance of yardage is his work slipping tackles. Since 2021, Taylor has forced 238 missed tackles, which places fourth at his position. That included a career-high 67 attempts eluded in 2025, which ranked third."
Big plays have become a hallmark of Taylor's game throughout his career. Although he is 5'10", 226, which would indicate he's a power back, he has legitimate track speed and averages 33.2 runs of 10-plus yards per season in his six-year career. Even more impressive is that he's only played two full seasons.
"Obviously, JT being so special once he does get into that space, you’ve got to be careful trying to make the big play happen with a great block or a great run, or a great anything," Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter recently said about Taylor's big plays. "You’ve just got to sort of churn out those consistent runs, and then the big runs come."
Continue reading...
