Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor usually looks forward to playing the Houston Texans. On Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium in Houston, he was on the field trying to lead his team to a win.
Taylor has been a main cog in the Colts’ offense this season, but has had a slow start to the game against the Texans behind quarterback Riley Leonard.
What’s Happening With Colts RB Jonathan Taylor?
After the Colts jumped out to a 10-6 lead in the first quarter, the Texans came back to take a 20-17 lead late in the second quarter.
The Colts got on the board first as Leonard threw his first NFL touchdown on a 66-yard pass play that totally had the Texans’ secondary fooled. Leonard threw his second career TD pass late in the second quarter to make the game closer. Also, the Colts will get the ball first in the second half.
AP DOWN THERE SOMEWHERE ‼️
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/1ZipwlK8r7
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) January 4, 2026
At the time of writing, Taylor has seven carries for 10 yards in the game, with his longest carry being a 7-yard run. There is no indication that the star running back is injured at all. Colts fans will look to see if Taylor can top the 100-yard mark against a tough Texans defense.
According to the PFSN NFL RB Impact Metric, Taylor has an impact score of 88.0 and grades out to a B+. Taylor tried adding to his rushing total late in the first half, but was stopped behind the line of scrimmage. Entering Sunday’s game, Taylor had 309 carries for 1,559 yards rushing and 18 rushing touchdowns. As a receiving option, he has 44 catches for 365 yards and two touchdowns.
Taylor was one of the key reasons the Colts got off to an 8-2 start this season, and they were looking pretty and en route to a potential division title. However, the team simply fell apart as the season progressed. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones was lost for the season due to injury, and the team even signed quarterback Philip Rivers out of retirement.
After the Colts were eliminated from playoff contention, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen decided to give Leonard the start this week. Taylor will look to help his rookie quarterback pick up a victory on Sunday.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
