Colts suffer heavy blow with star RB Jonathan Taylor being placed on IR, ruled out for remainder of 2022 NFL season
The 2022 Indianapolis Colts season has been a major disappointment, and while they're not officially eliminated from playoff contention yet, it's surely just a matter of time for the 4-9-1 team, especially after they just suffered the largest comeback in NFL history against the Minnesota Vikings.
But things can always get worse. On Tuesday, the team announced that star running back Jonathan Taylor was placed on injured reserve and will not play for the remainder of the 2022 season. He suffered a high ankle sprain during the game against the Vikings.
After a career year in 2021 that led to his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl appearances, Taylor couldn't repeat his great numbers in 2022. He finished the season with just 861 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in 11 games.
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Colts, Taylor struggled in 2022
It was supposed to be a magical year for the Indianapolis Colts, but things went downhill from the start.
The team traded for longtime Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in hopes of finally fixing the position, which has been a major problem since Andrew Luck decided to retire in 2019. However, Ryan, who's 37, failed to live up to expectations and was benched for Sam Ehlinger midseason.
Taylor remained the most important piece of the offense, but his numbers have dropped from the previous year. In the first four weeks, he managed to surpass the 100-yard mark only once; after returning from injury, he did it only one time.
Lofty expectations were placed on the running back after his second year, but injuries and a disappointing offensive line did not help.
The Colts also fired head coach Frank Reich midseason, a move that left the NFL world stunned. The decision to hire Jeff Saturday, a former player who had never coached in the NFL before, was even more of a shock.
Perhaps being put on injured reserve will be a good thing for both sides. For Taylor, it allows him to get healthy and get some rest in what is already a lost season; for the Colts, it allows them to give more opportunities to other players on the roster and discover if there's some hidden gem.
But both sides will agree that the 2022 season was a major disappointment, and there's a lot to fix before fighting for the AFC South again in 2023.