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Stephen Holder, ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor took the handoff and did a split-second survey of the sphere. The Indianapolis Colts‘ All-Professional working again noticed solely a sea of white jerseys — those donned by the New England Patriots.
There have been eight of them within the sort out field, every defender centered squarely on Taylor. With the Colts defending a 3-point lead with two minutes remaining, and along with his solely working lane occupied by two awaiting defenders, Taylor was left to improvise. He planted laborious in a single path to make one tackler miss, then juked the opposite approach to free him from the second.
The joystick strikes produced a small sliver of house, simply sufficient for the elusive Taylor to slide by the protection for a spectacular, game-sealing 67-yard landing within the Dec. 18, 2021, victory. For Taylor, it was the defining picture from a career-defining season by a participant who appeared to be making his bid to be thought of one of the best working again within the recreation.
“What he’s doing now,” Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard mentioned afterward, “there’s no query that he’s the [NFL] MVP.”
The one questions going through Taylor at the moment had been whether or not he may, in reality, win the NFL’s prime honor or attain the holy grail of two,000 speeding yards (he fell quick on each counts).
However there’s a a lot completely different set of questions going through Taylor at the moment.
He’s coming off essentially the most difficult soccer season of his life, one marred by an ankle damage that diminished him to a shell of himself, and a four-win season that took a psychological toll.
Final season, Taylor mentioned, “taught me I am fairly, fairly, fairly robust mentally. You by no means wish to undergo a season and assume, ‘Why is that this happening?’ Not solely individually, however collectively as a workforce.”
It was a season in contrast to any Taylor has endured. Earlier than he lastly was positioned on injured reserve on Dec. 20, his ankle damage lingered and was an ever-present actuality.
The inconsistency from his offensive line and quarterbacks meant that defenders within the Colts’ offensive backfield had been additionally an ever-present actuality.
The consequence? Taylor skilled a precipitous drop-off in his efficiency, one season after his record-setting 2021 effort. After averaging 106.5 yards per recreation in 2021, Taylor averaged simply 78.3 final season. He was restricted to 11 video games due to the damage, however he produced solely two 100-yard speeding performances after recording 10 the 12 months earlier than (the Colts are 13-1-1 when Taylor runs for 100 yards or extra).
Taylor’s league-high 1,811 speeding yards in 2021 had been a single-season franchise file, topping Corridor of Famer Edgerrin James’ 1,709 yards in 2000. It was among the many most exceptional particular person efforts in franchise historical past, one which included an NFL-best 18 speeding touchdowns.
However now, a participant who till final season had by no means missed a recreation resulting from damage in his highschool, school or professional careers, should re-establish himself throughout a pivotal 12 months for the Colts. They’ve received a brand new head coach in Shane Steichen and — equally vital — a brand new quarterback in fourth general draft decide Anthony Richardson.
Taylor has demonstrated he generally is a stabilizing power for the Colts. However that may be true provided that he returns to his outdated type and regains his uncommon explosiveness. He’s nonetheless recovering from ankle surgical procedure to handle his damage and hasn’t been collaborating in current offseason workforce practices.
The Colts cannot rush this, however this a lot is obvious: The stakes are excessive.
“I am excited as a result of it is 2023, so we have now one other alternative,” Taylor mentioned. “… You’ve received one other alternative to put in writing one other web page in your e book. So, what are you going to do? What’s this chapter going to be?”
Taylor could have so much to say in regards to the Colts’ subsequent chapter. Whereas Steichen has mentioned he needs to put in an aggressive passing offense, there’s an understanding that Richardson’s dual-threat capability can be an asset to the workforce’s working recreation. The specter of the quarterback ripping off an enormous run ought to, theoretically, make Taylor simpler when he does get the ball.
The Colts have ranked among the many prime 10 within the NFL in speeding makes an attempt, speeding yards and explosive runs since 2018, a mirrored image of the run-heavy scheme employed by former coach Frank Reich. It stays to be seen whether or not Steichen is equally dedicated to the run. However Taylor has established himself as big-play specialist, and rising explosive performs is in the end the aim for Steichen.
No participant within the NFL had extra runs of 10 yards or longer than Taylor in 2020 and 2021 — the 2 seasons wherein he was wholesome. His 85 such runs throughout that interval accounted for extra 15.1% p.c of his general carries.
For Taylor, it has all the time been about high quality over amount.
“It may very well be much less is extra,” he mentioned of his touches in 2023. “All I do know is we will need to be environment friendly. Regardless of if we’re working the ball so much, you’d moderately be environment friendly. In the event you’re throwing the ball extra, you higher be environment friendly.”
There’s one other subplot to notice as Taylor continues his comeback. His setback final season was significantly ill-timed contemplating he’s in line for a potential contract extension this offseason. Taylor, a second-round decide in 2020, is because of hit free company after the season. The Colts have mentioned the concept of extending him early. And Taylor presumably has his eye on a brand new deal, too, if his resolution to not too long ago change brokers is any indication (he’s now represented by First Spherical Administration, the identical company that represents Leonard).
Taylor insists it gained’t be a problem if he enters the season with out a new deal.
“It wouldn’t be a distraction to me,” he mentioned. “I am beneath contract right here for 4 years. I put the pen to the paper. So, that is the place I am at proper now. I made an obligation to them. They made an obligation to me. Issues will occur naturally.”
However the actuality is Taylor’s underperformance final season may make negotiations difficult. Working backs are now not valued the best way they as soon as had been, particularly working backs coming off accidents.
Some context on the current standing of the place: Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers is the highest-paid working again within the NFL with a mean wage of simply greater than $16 million per season. However by that metric he ranks 102nd leaguewide.
For an additional indicator of how troublesome arriving at a good deal for Taylor may be, simply have a look at the New York Giants’ negotiations with Saquon Barkley. The previous No. 2 general draft decide was given the franchise tag this offseason and has been unable to succeed in a long-term deal regardless of his career-high 1,312 yards in 2022.
Will Taylor get his? Will he regain the shape that put him among the many elite gamers at his place?
For Taylor, the questions preserve coming.