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Stephen Holder, ESPN
Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor likely will have thumb surgery this week and is expected to miss at least two weeks, sources confirmed to ESPN.
A source told ESPN’s Dan Graziano that the Colts hope Taylor will return in two to three weeks. Sources told ESPN earlier Tuesday that the Colts were evaluating the injury and that no determination has been made yet as to whether Taylor could be placed on injured reserve.
Taylor rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in the Colts’ victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played the entire game. He closed out the win with an 8-yard run with 1:24 remaining that gave the Colts a first down and allowed Indianapolis to run out the clock. Taylor played 42 snaps in the game and carried the ball 15 times.
It has been an eventful season for Taylor, starting with his very public contract standoff and ankle injury that sidelined him for the first four games. But Taylor’s performance has been impressive since he signed a three-year, $42 million extension in October and returned to the lineup.
Taylor’s workload had consistently increased in recent weeks, with the share of carries between him and backup Zack Moss tilted more toward Taylor lately. Taylor has 414 yards on 100 carries since returning.
If Taylor misses time, he’ll give way to Moss, who was one of the NFL’s leading rushers earlier this season in Taylor’s absence. Moss has a career-best 672 yards and five rushing touchdowns this season, surpassing his previous high of 481 yards as a rookie in Buffalo in 2020.
News of Taylor’s likely surgery was first reported Tuesday by The Athletic.