Jonathan Taylor injury update: Colts RB still not practicing Wednesday

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will not practice on Wednesday, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said.

But Taylor's absence should not be taken as an indicator that Taylor's injury is more serious than previously thought, according to Steichen.

Indianapolis often holds out players dealing with an injury on Wednesdays, then brings them back to the field on Thursday or Friday before making the decision.

Taylor, obviously, has enough experience to play against the Titans with limited practice repetitions under his belt.

"He's working through it," Steichen said. "He's looking good. We'll see how the week goes with him. I'm hopeful he'll be out there."

Taylor said definitively last week that this ankle injury is not as serious as the one he suffered in 2022.

When Taylor suffered that high ankle sprain, he missed three of the next five games, then returned to the lineup for four full games before aggravating the injury, going on injured reserve and eventually getting surgery in the offseason, leading to a four-game absence at the beginning of 2023 amid a contract dispute with the Colts .

Taylor's current injury is apparently not as serious.

But the same concerns about cutting and change-of-direction that play into any ankle injury are present, and Taylor has to be able to make sudden moves to make his darting, diving style of running effective.

The Indianapolis running game did not look the same without Taylor. The Colts rushed 20 times for 99 yards, but Indianapolis struggled to pick up yards consistently, piling up 55 of the yards on three plays: a 21-yard scramble by Joe Flacco and twin 17-yard gains by Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson.

Sermon rushed 10 times for 38 yards, and Goodson ran five times for 26 yards.

Taylor has rushed for 349 yards in four games this season, posting three games with 88 yards or more already.

"Definitely a lot of tough sledding in the running game, especially early on, especially on the outside runs,” Goodson said. “But that’s part of the game. You’ve got to go through tough sledding, put pressure on the defense, and eventually one of those runs will break. That’s what happened.”

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Jonathan Taylor injury history

Taylor missed one game in 2020 with COVID-19, was questionable for one game with a knee injury in 2020 but played, missed a total of 6 games in three stints due to his ankle in 2022 and missed three games in 2023 due to a thumb injury.

Who is Jonathan Taylor's backup on the Colts depth chart?

Trey Sermon .

Trey Sermon's fantasy football value

Sermon had 38 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, plus 6 catches for 25 yards vs. Jacksonville. He has 62 yards on 19 carries and 2 scores this season with 7 catches for 32 yards. Tyler Goodson had his first carries of the season -- 5 for 26 yards -- and caught 3 passes for 31 yards against the Jaguars.

What is Colts RB Jonathan Taylor's injury?

Colts coach Shane Steichen said Taylor is dealing with a sprained ankle. Media outlets have reported that it's a high ankle sprain, which generally has a 4- to 6-week recovery period but can take less or more time to heal.

What are Colts RB Jonathan Taylor's 2024 NFL season stats?

Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 349 yards and 4 touchdowns on 72 carries this season, a 4.8-yard average. He has caught 6 passes for 77 yards, a 12.8-yard average.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor's contract

Jonathan Taylor signed a 3-year, $42 million contract with the Colts last season, according to Spotrac.com . It included a $10.248 million signing bonus with $26.5 million guaranteed. Taylor is earning a base salary of $7,804,000 this season with a dead cap hit of $23,152,445 per Spotrac.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jonathan Taylor injury update: Colts RB still not practicing Wednesday