The Colts could welcome back their offensive star as soon as next week. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there’s optimism that running back Jonathan Taylor will be available for the Colts’ Christmas Eve matchup against the Falcons.
Taylor suffered a torn UCL in his thumb back in Week 12, and standard surgery would have kept the running back off the field for months. Instead, he underwent an internal brace procedure, giving him a recovery timeline of three to five weeks.
Taylor wasn’t able to return to the field for the short end of that recovery timeline, as the running back was already ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Steelers. The Colts decided against placing Taylor on injured reserve, a move that would have kept him off the active roster until at least Week 17.
The former All-Pro RB missed the start of the season thanks to an ankle injury/contract dispute, and it didn’t take long for Taylor to return to the field after inking a three-year, $42M deal in October. In his seven appearances, Taylor was averaging a career-low 59.1 rushing yards per game, but he was starting to heat up before his latest injury, collecting 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns in Week 10 and Week 12.
Zack Moss had a productive start to the season while filling in for Taylor, but the veteran backup has struggled during Taylor’s most recent absence. Over the past two weeks, Moss has collected 113 yards from scrimmage on 38 touches.
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