Following Friday’s practice, Indianapolis Colts head coach ruled out running back Jonathan Taylor for this week’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
Coach Shane Steichen says Jonathan Taylor is the only player ruled out.
Acknowledges Michael Pittman's injury but he is not ruled out and says "he's one of the toughest guys." No insight on his official status just yet.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) October 11, 2024
No other players on the injury report have been ruled out at this time.
This will be the second game that Taylor has missed after suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4.
Taylor is also yet to return to practice, but did tell reporters that he is feeling much better this week compared to last:
“Oh, I’m feeling way better, which is a positive sign,” Taylor told The Athletic’s James Boyd. “Anytime you can progress throughout the week, you’re closer to getting back on the field.”
“(The pain) has gone down tremendously,” Taylor added. “That’s the biggest thing.”
Taylor also mentioned last week that this ankle injury isn’t as severe as the one he worked through in 2022 that forced him in and out of the lineup. The Colts obviously also haven’t put Taylor on injured reserve, which would force him to miss four games at a minimum–so hopefully, a return is on the horizon.
Through four games, Taylor had been one of the more productive running backs in football, totaling 349 yards on the ground at 4.8 yards per rush with four touchdowns. He also ranked among the best in rushes of at least 10 yards as well.
For an offense that has been very boom-or-bust to start the season, Taylor in the run game provided some consistency to that unit.
Once again, Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson will shoulder the workload in Taylor’s absence. The Titans have been one of the more stingy run defenses in football, allowing just 4.2 yards per rush with Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat in the middle of that front.