While the Indianapolis Colts will enter the 2026 season with a lot of pressure, they will also have plenty of optimism as well. The team is hopeful for the upcoming season because it has elite players on its roster, like Jonathan Taylor, and with a player like the star running back on the roster, Indy has a chance to win a lot of games.
Taylor has been one of the best running backs since entering the NFL in 2020, and he’s still respected as such throughout the league. That was evident in ESPN’s annual position rankings done by league execs, scouts, and coaches, where Taylor ranked No. 5.
However, for as productive as the veteran running back has been, Indianapolis is trying to find ways to give him the ball less. Colts reporter Stephen Holder detailed that plan in a recent piece where Indy’s coaches talked about monitoring the running back’s usage.
Indianapolis Colts plan to be intentional about Jonathan Taylor’s usage in 2026
Taylor had a league-high 323 carries in 2025 and delivered with his touches, picking up 1,585 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns. He also added 46 receptions for 378 yards and two additional touchdowns.
Despite that production, Indianapolis has admitted that the team’s usage of Taylor is something they are working to navigate. According to Holder, the Colts would like for Taylor to have fewer touches, but even head coach Shane Steichen admits, “It's hard to take him off the field when he's running so good.”
The reason Indianapolis wants its best player to be featured less is that the team is thinking about sustainability. Indianapolis wants Taylor to be productive throughout the entire season, and hopefully deep into the playoffs, and for many years to come.
That’s why Colts running back coach DeAndre Smith said, “We definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off him.” The key to doing that is finding adequate backup running backs who can help Taylor out, so that Indy’s lead back can stay fresh and sustain his dominance.
While that’s a plan that sounds good in theory, it may not yield the best results. In Indy’s defense, the team is aware of that, and that’s what makes this navigation so challenging.
The Colts understand that any other running back on the team touching the ball won’t be as good as Taylor, and the coaches also know that it would look foolish if they were pulling Taylor out of the game because they are thinking about the future.
That's why the Colts have to be careful that they aren’t creating a problem out of something that’s not even an issue. Taylor has been an incredibly durable running back, playing in 14 or more games in four of his six seasons. Additionally, as Holder highlighted, the running back doesn’t have a problem with his workload.
Knowing that, Indianapolis shouldn’t just take its best player off the field because other running backs have struggled to sustain their success. Some guys are just different, and Jonathan Taylor has proven to be one of those guys. While the team should monitor his health and pull back when necessary, Colts fans will hate to see a healthy Taylor on the sideline for preservation’s sake.
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