INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor is not sure if he will return to practice on Thursday.
But his sprained ankle is significantly better than it was last week.
Taylor planned to work out before practice in an effort to determine whether he’d be able to return to practice for the first time since the Steelers game. The Colts running back did not play against Jacksonville.
“I’m feeling way better,” Taylor said. “Any time you can progress throughout the week, you’re closer to getting back on the field.”
Taylor needs to check a few different boxes on his ankle before returning to action, but the first is obvious.
“No. 1 is actually pain level,” Taylor said. “That’s gone down tremendously, that’s the biggest thing.”
The next step is figuring out if he has all of his powers available to him.
Taylor’s running style this season has emphasized jump cuts, sudden moves and instant change-of-direction, putting his ankles at a premium.
“No. 1, you can’t have excruciating pain when you go out there, but also, defensive backs, running backs, you’ve got to be able to cut, you’ve got to be able to move more than other positions,” Taylor said.
Taylor reiterated that this ankle injury is not as serious as the one he suffered in 2022.
That injury cost him two games to start, another game later and eventually put him on injured reserve after he aggravated the injury late in the season.
“Ankles are nothing new to me,” Taylor said. “I’m just thankful it’s not as bad.”
The 13 games Taylor missed over the last two seasons weighed on him Sunday.
Taylor was off to an excellent start, piling up 349 rushing yards through the first four games.
“It sucks,” Taylor said. “Especially when you’ve already had a long stint without being on the field.”
Ultimately, the lesson of the 2022 season is that Taylor needs to let the ankle heal to avoid further complications later in the year.
“Body-wise, of course, you’re not going into more car crashes, but when you’re out there and you don’t have anything on, you feel naked, almost,” Taylor said. “You start itching to get out there, but it’s a process, and you know you’d probably do more harm than good if you’re out there.”
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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 'feeling way better' ahead of Titans game
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