For the first time ever, it looks like the Indianapolis Colts could have Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor in the same backfield. The Colts made that possibility a reality when they activated Taylor off the physically unable to perform list ahead of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans.
Taylor returned to Colts practice as a full participant Wednesday. It was his first practice session since last December, with the star running back having been out of the mix due to both an ankle injury and a contract dispute that eventually boiled over into a trade demand.
Head coach Shane Steichen said ahead of his return that Taylor is "excited to be back," and did not rule out Taylor playing as soon as this week against the Titans. "We'll see," Steichen said, adding he wants to see how Taylor looks before making any decisions.
For Taylor's part, he declined to discuss his contract situation or give his thoughts on a potential trade away from Indianapolis.
"It feels really good to be healthy," Taylor said to open a press conference, where he spoke to the media for the first time this year, after being asked if he desires a trade. "The main goal was to be healthy ... to be able to do what I love, which is to play football. There's been a lot of things said and done, but at the end of the day, the No. 1 goal for everybody was to get me healthy, and I think everybody was on the same page with that."
When we last saw him fully healthy in 2021, Taylor was voted Offensive Player of the Year and named a first-team All-Pro, but he took a significant step backward amid an injury-marred season a year ago. He posted career-lows in yards per carry (4.5) and success rate (48.4%), as well as catch rate (70%) and yards per reception (5.1). In his absence so far this season, the Colts leaned first on Deon Jackson and then Zack Moss in the backfield alongside Richardson. It remains to be seen how the team will divvy up snaps and touches if Taylor is active, but it seems safe to assume that he will re-take the lead role in short order.
