Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor is looking to return to his MVP form in 2024. Last offseason began with Taylor battling injuries and contract disputes. Inevitably, this would lead to him being away from the field more than on it in 2023.
When he came into the league in 2020, Taylor finished his first two seasons with 1,100 rush yards or more and 10 touchdowns or more each season. He also was in contention for league MVP in 2021 which solidified his status as an elite running back. Injuries have plagued the last two years for Taylor and the injuries have been the main contributor to his production decline. Nonetheless, the elite running backs remain very productive for their team because they stay healthy.
The Indianapolis Colts Need Jonathan Taylor to get back to MVP Form
He Needs to Live Up to His New Contract
On October 7, 2023, the Indianapolis Colts signed Taylor to a three-year extension worth $42M and $26.5M guaranteed. This makes him the third highest-paid running back going into 2024. This contract also puts him in the company of Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Nick Chubb. Anytime a player gets a big contract, the expectation is that he will live up to the money. For Taylor, he has proven that he can be elite and be a game-changer for his team. The question is whether or not he will be able to recapture that elite presence and form in 2024.
He Needs to Be Elite for This Offense
The vision that head coach Shane Steichen has laid out for his offense is simple. In his first press conference as the Colts head coach, Steichen stated that his philosophy is to, “throw to score points and run to win”. This philosophy can not be put into action unless the running game is on point and that will start with Jonathan Taylor.
Based on how the Colts offense operated last season, it is clear that Steichen wants his unit to work via an elite running game. In 2023, the Colts offense was 10th in total rushing yards and 11th in total rushing attempts. They were also ninth in yards per carry and seventh in total rushing touchdowns. Needless to say, the running game was the crucial element within this offense. It was how the unit operated and it solidified stability for the quarterback. Moving forward into 2024, the Colts will look to Jonathan Taylor to build upon those numbers and be the stability for Anthony Richardson.
He Needs to Establish Continuity with Anthony Richardson
The hope for the Colts offense is that Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson can be an explosive duo. Richardson displayed explosive capabilities in his rookie season but it was cut short due to injuries. The league already knows what Taylor is capable of, so the goal moving forward is to get both playmakers in a position to excel. With Taylor being the veteran of the two, there will be more pressure on him to perform at a high level. However, for his quarterback to succeed and for this offense to succeed, Taylor must be the elite running back he once was.
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