Taylor bottled up by Steelers in Week 5 loss

Playing in London, Taylor needed just 78 yards to overtake Travis Etienne as the league’s all-time leading rusher in international games. Taylor didn’t disappoint with his third multi-score effort of the season. Marcus Mariota left the game early and the Colts pulled away in the second half, allowing them to lean on the ground game. With the passing game struggling throughout the first month of football, expect the Colts to continue to build their offense around Taylor. He remains near the top of the RB1 ranks for his Week 5 matchup with the Steelers.

The Texans focused first and foremost on stuffing Taylor, and outside of a stretch in the middle of the second half when Azeez Al-Shaair was pulled off the field for injury, they mostly did just that. Taylor did have a 24-yard scamper pulled off the scoresheet by a holding call. He’ll be back in the RB1 ranks next week against the Commanders.

Taylor’s one-cut rushing ability was on full display against the Chiefs while gashing Kansas City’s defense on outside zone runs. Both of his touchdown scampers came on such carries, the second of which knotted the game at 27 to eventually force overtime. Unfortunately for Taylor and the Colts, the two carries that mattered the most were stuffed for a combined negative-three yards following a 48-yard Laquon Treadwell reception in overtime, eventually forcing the Colts to kick a game-tying field goal. Patrick Mahomes would send Indianapolis to an 0-2 record on the following possession. Taylor gets a difficult matchup against one of the top defenses in the league in Week 3, but he will remain a locked-in RB1 against the Texans.

Taylor felt like the lone bright spot on Sunday for a Colts offense that struggled for much of the game. Taylor struggled at times on the ground, with nine of his 19 carries going for three or fewer yards, but he also broke free for five carries of 10-plus yards, with his longest run coming on a 21-yard burst in the third quarter. Taylor got the scoring started for the Colts in the first quarter when he plunged into the end zone for a one-yard score to give them the early lead, and found the end zone again in the second quarter on a three-yard score. Taylor was the only Colts running back to see a rush attempt in this one, and he saw four of the five running back targets. He’ll be firmly on the RB1 radar in next week’s game against the Chiefs.

Taylor and GM Chris Ballard both talked about their desire to get a deal done earlier in training camp, and it didn’t take long for the two sides to reach an agreement. The deal includes $39 million guaranteed and has another $3 million for Taylor to earn via incentives. He was set to be a free agent next offseason but is now signed through the 2028 season. Taylor slowed down once Daniel Jones got injured last year. Even with the quiet finish, his season-long numbers look incredible. He ran for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns while setting career-highs in receptions (46) and receiving yards (378). Taylor is rightfully the fourth running back to be taken in most fantasy drafts this summer.

Taylor, who had been a rumored hold-in, has actually participated in camp — though he did take a rest day on Friday — and Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said she would love it if Taylor “would be a Colt for life.” It seems like there’s positive momentum on an extension here, though it isn’t done just yet. Taylor is currently going off draft boards as RB4 and a top-10 pick.

Indianapolis Star’s Joel A. Erickson puts it this way: “the Colts also find themselves at a crossroads. Ballard is headed into the final year of his contract; if Indianapolis does not win, the Colts could be headed for organizational change. A superstar running back might not fit in a rebuild.” It will be very interesting to see if Taylor holds in without a new contract. Ballard spent a lot of his press conference saying his own contract status — he’s a lame duck GM — won’t affect his ability to make long-term decisions. In his own words: We’ll see.

To be clear, the headline of this article said Taylor “could — and should — hold in” and the article itself mostly focuses on why he should and would have a lot of leverage if he attempted to. There’s not exactly a pull quote here from Taylor that suggests he’s leaning one way or the other. But Boyd has been on the beat in Indianapolis for a bit and we believe there’s a real chance this happens. Taylor didn’t technically hold in during an acrimonious contract dispute ahead of the 2023 season so much as he dealt with a right ankle injury that suddenly healed after he got a contract before Week 5. Boyd believes Taylor “despite being three years older, has more leverage now than he did in 2023.” The Colts certainly don’t have a real backup plan for him at running back based on how last season and this offseason went.

“If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he’s just going to be that much better,” Smith continued. We’re not that concerned about this from a fantasy perspective because the Colts haven’t exactly invested in finding that player. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a player,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “It’s hard to take him off the field when he’s running so good.” Taylor should remain in the RB1 conversation this year, though it’s going to be harder to believe in him posting his early-season numbers if Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury limits him.

Taylor, 27, has totaled more than 320 offensive touches in each of the last two seasons. His current $14 million annual salary makes him the seventh-highest-paid running back in the league. Taylor has set multiple Colts records, operating as the centerpiece of Indianapolis’ offense for years. FOX 59’s Mike Chappell writes that it is “uncertain whether there’s a mutual desire to keep Taylor in Indy beyond 2025.” Multiple Colts stars, including DTs DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, OG Quenton Nelson and WR Josh Downs, are also entering the final year of their deal. Chappell believes owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon “might believe it’s more prudent to allow the upcoming season to run its course rather than reinvest in lucrative contracts.” Time will tell.