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Jonathan Taylor began his 2023 campaign on the edge.
In the final year of his then-current contract with the Indianapolis Colts, Taylor decided to hold out in the hopes of receiving a lucrative extension, just as his fellow young running backs like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs did. It lasted into the first few weeks of the regular season, as he got his wish fulfilled: $42 million over three years.
But ever since he took to the field in October, the second-round pick has not contributed much, having only 414 yards and four touchdowns on 100 carries before Sunday's game against the Houston Texans. Moreover, If the Colts reach the playoffs, whether as AFC South champions or as wild cards, he may not be present.
At the end of the third quarter, Taylor left with a suspected heel/ankle injury. He had rushed for a season-best 165 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, and was immediately declared doubtful for the rest of the night.
Jonathan Taylor’s return not enough as Colts are eliminated from playoff contention vs. Texans
Minutes later, home fans inside Lucas Oil Stadium got a positive Jonathan Taylor update: he was returning to the game. By then, the score was 23-17 after the Texans answered a game-tying Matt Gay field goal with a touchdown rush from Devin Singletary, only for Kaimi Fairbarn to miss the extra point.
This gave the Colts another chance to set up a game-winning drive, and rookie wideout Josh Downs capitalized with a deep reception into Texans territory:
But with over a minute remaining, Tyler Goodson dropped a fourth-down pass, killing the drive and causing a turnover.
Still, with the Texans backed near their endzone, the Colts still had time to force a defensive stop and regain possession. But on fourth-down and needing to punt, Cameron Johnston decided to deliberately commit a safety. On the ensuing kickoff, Dobbs and Michael Pittman Jr. failed to complete a return play, ending their team’s season.
