Stampede Blue
Jonathan Taylor may finally have found the running mate he’s sorely missed since Nyheim Hines and Marlon Mack before him.
Indianapolis, IN — Although Jonathan Taylor, one of the league’s best, is projected to put this new-look RB room on his back in both usage and subsequent production, there’s also a reality where this is the best room, from top to bottom, that the Colts have seen since Taylor was drafted.
The Colts’ offensive line goes into the season without two of their mainstay protectors in recent years in center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, though their succession plan of interior OL Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves provides enough optimism to believe there won’t be much of a drop-off, if at all, on the ground.
Led by DeAndre Smith, who enters his third season coaching the Colts’ running backs, let’s dive into what type of room he’ll be working with for the 2025-26 season.
Jonathan Taylor
Since his franchise record-breaking sophomore campaign in 2021, Jonathan Taylor has struggled to stay on the field for an entire season. Though some of that is due to his infamous contract hold-in back in 2023, the best ability is availability, and this, coupled with his various injuries in that time, has made it difficult for him to return to form. That is until last season.
At 26 years old and heading into his sixth season, Taylor remains the same player who set the league on fire just a few years prior. Garnering 1,431 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in just 14 games played in 2024, it’s evident that the all-world talent is there for Indy’s disposal. Aside from his resurfaced ball-control issues, staying on-the-field remains Taylor’s biggest concern moving forward. Regardless of his play staying at the standard he previously set, understanding that Taylor averages 3.5 missed games per season is imperative to this room’s outlook overall.
Thankfully for Taylor, there’s a trio of fresh legs in Indy’s RB room prepared to alleviate his efforts. Not only that, but the Colts’ offensive scheme is centered around the run game, and in specific, that of the QB run game; therefore, Taylor should have enough opportunity and relief to ease his overall wear and tear over the course of the season.
Khalil Herbert, DJ Giddens, Tyler Goodson
This trio of Herbert, Giddens, and Goodson has the potential to be one of the more intriguing camp battles. Vying for the team’s RB2 role, the door is wide open for whoever wants to take it. The battle is shaping up to be a two-man race between Herbert and Giddens, but don’t count Goodson out just yet.
Khalil Herbert and Tyler Goodson are the veterans among the three. Herbert’s role as the Chicago Bears RB2 in recent years suggests that he’ll have a leg up on the competition, especially when you consider the fact that the Colts went out and added both Herbert and Giddens due to previously inefficient play from then-duo in...
