Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor announced his presence as one of the best players in the NFL at his position. He was unstoppable in 2021, leading the league in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns.
Taylor rumbled to 1,811 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry on his 332 totes. He scored 18 times as defenses just had no answer for him. The production did not stop on the ground as Taylor was also solid through the air catching 40 passes for 360 yards and two more scores.
That performance led to him finishing second in the Offensive Player of the Year race while earning a spot on the All-Pro first team and Pro Bowl roster. Colts owner Jim Irsay believes that Taylor could be in for an even bigger year in 2022, but said individual accolades aren’t what he is focused on. A championship is what Taylor and his teammates are focused on.
“Jonathan Taylor, everyone’s looking at him and seeing just what type of year is he gonna have this year. Of course he could get 2,000 yards, but I think Jonathan and all of the other great players are mostly interested in winning a championship.”
Expectations have certainly risen for the Colts in the upcoming season with Matt Ryan taking over the starting quarterback spot from Carson Wentz. Ryan is viewed as an upgrade rather unanimously, which should also take pressure off of Taylor.
No longer will he be relied upon to carry the offense on his own as he was for large chunks of the 2021 season. Unlike Wentz, Ryan should be able to take advantage of teams putting eight players in the box to slow Taylor down.
With more favorable looks, Taylor could actually become more efficient in 2022 than he was in 2021 when he led the NFL in carries. With more pressure being put on the opponent through the air, Taylor should have the opportunity to bulldoze opponents that will no longer be able to stack the box against the Colts’ offense.