Indianapolis Colts fans might be counting on the fact that the quarterback play for the team won't be high level. Perhaps, Indy fans are stunned by how well Anthony Richard or Daniel Jones do, and that would be great, but that isn't the expectation.
Instead, if Indianapolis is going to be successful in 2025, it will likely be because of an excellent pass rush, sound defense, and an offense that can run the ball extremely effectively. In other words, what Colts fans have gotten used to hoping for in the last few years.
We know Jonathan Taylor is going to be good, but what we don't know is if he will stay fully healthy. Taylor missed six games in 2022, seven games in 2023, and three last year. Three isn't too much, unless it is a team assuming they will have the elite services of Taylor to win games, and he isn't available.
The unofficial Indianapolis Colts running back depth chart is scary bad
If that happens, things might be a mess based on the first unofficial Colts depth chart for preseason Week 1. Indy takes on the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, and the quarterback duo of Richardson and Jones is expected to play. Maybe Taylor does, too, though he shouldn't. There is no reason to risk him to injury.
The Ravens game could be an example of how Indy looks without Taylor, if he doesn't play during the regular season, and that look is very bad. RB2 is currently Tyler Goodson. He ran for 153 yards in 2024, but had more reps on special teams. That is where the team seems to believe he will excel.
According to Zach Hicks of Sports Illustrated, "Colts (special teams coach) Brian Mason spoke about Tyler Goodson being a solid starting gunner, a valuable return man, and a really good coverage player."
Those are all great things, but they also all relate to special teams, and not the offense. If Goodson is truly RB2 and something happens to Jonathan Taylor, no offense to Goodson, but the Indianapolis Colts are doomed.
Rookie DJ Giddens is listed as RB3, and maybe the team has him listed there simply because he is a first-year player. It could be a bit of unofficial hazing, and if Week 1 were tomorrow, should something happen to Taylor, there is a decent chance that Giddens is the next man up.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter implied as much after practice recently. The OC said, "DJ's done a really nice job...Oftentimes, a young running back has a lot on his plate learning that. It is different than college, but DJ's done a really nice job of picking up the offense, picking up his role, and then going out and executing it."
That sounds a lot like DJ Giddens, a fifth-round pick in 2025 for the Indianapolis Colts out of Kansas State, could be RB2 by the end of the preseason. He just has to prove he is ready to do the fundamental things, such as pass protection, well enough to be trusted to get a bunch of reps in real games.
That is a lot of question marks behind Jonathan Taylor, though. If Taylor gets hurt again, an already iffy Indy offense could be terrible quickly.