We are now entering the tenth week of the 2022 NFL season, and daily practice reports are becoming longer and longer as injury updates pour in. The Indianapolis Colts are dealing with injuries at the running back position, as both Jonathan Taylor and Deon Jackson are banged up.
What is the latest on the Colts’ running back situation, and how should fantasy football managers prepare for Week 10?
Jonathan Taylor and Deon Jackson Injury Update
In Week 8, Taylor aggravated his ankle injury but was able to finish the game. As often happens, the ankle got worse after the adrenaline wore off. As a result, Taylor was unable to practice all week before ultimately missing the Colts’ Week 9 contest against the New England Patriots.
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Without Taylor, the Colts turned to Deon Jackson as their lead back. Woefully inefficient in a Sam Ehlinger offense, Jackson was not nearly as effective as he was when heavily utilized in Week 6. Nevertheless, Jackson was the clear lead back, seeing 14 opportunities and playing 63% of the snaps.
That snap share would’ve been even higher if not for a second-half knee injury that looked terrifying as Jackson was on the ground writhing in pain, pointing to his knee. Miraculously, he returned to the game several plays later but was clearly hampered by the injury. The Colts quickly pulled Jackson from the game, holding him out for most of the fourth quarter.
We have some good news and some bad news. The good news is Taylor returned to practice on Wednesday, getting in a limited session. This is very encouraging after former head coach Frank Reich described Taylor’s injury as more of a week-to-week situation than day-to-day. The bad news is that Jackson did not practice due to his knee injury.
Will Taylor or Jackson Play This Sunday?
Given how bad Jackson’s injury looked when it first happened, I’m amazed he was able to return to the game at all. That’s a good sign that he avoided serious injury, but the Wednesday absence is not a good start to the week. Unless he gets in a limited session on Thursday, I would expect him to miss Sunday’s game.
As for Taylor, any activity on a Wednesday is huge for his prospects of playing this week. But I wouldn’t count on him to return just yet. As FOX59/CBS4 Sports’ Mike Chappell put it, “I doubt they rush him back.”
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The biggest problem for Taylor managers is the Colts’ acknowledgment that their 2022 season is over. This is a team looking toward the future. They are in talent evaluation mode, as evidenced by the move to bench Matt Ryan for Ehlinger.
There is absolutely no incentive for the team to push any player to play through injury. Unless Taylor is truly 100%, I would not expect him back.
Even more concerning than Taylor’s status for this week is his status for the remainder of the season. Ankle sprains have a tendency to linger. By no means do I think Taylor’s season is over…yet. But if Taylor returns in a couple of weeks and then re-aggravates the injury, the Colts have every reason to just shut him down. It’s a very real risk for fantasy managers rostering Taylor.
As of now, I would tentatively expect Taylor to earn himself a questionable tag on Friday’s final injury report. Unless he gets in a full practice on Thursday or Friday, fantasy managers should prepare to be without Taylor for another week.
If Taylor does, in fact, sit another week, and Jackson can’t go either, I really must caution against using any Colts running back.
Last week, Jordan Wilkins played ahead of Phillip Lindsay as the lead back following Jackson’s exit. However, I hesitate to declare Wilkins the presumptive lead back, as the Colts recently traded for Zack Moss. Of course, Moss was inactive last week, so we have no idea what his role, if any, would be.
It’s entirely possible Moss was held out because he didn’t arrive at the team facility until Thursday and just didn’t have enough time to prepare for the game.
It’s equally possible that the sub-replacement level running back was inactive because the Colts actually have no intention of using him and merely took on his contract as part of their deal to trade away Nyheim Hines. There’s really no way of knowing.
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Moss’ range of outcomes stems from healthy inactive to three-down back. The same goes for Wilkins. As of now, if I had to bet on one, it would be Wilkins.
This is a team with issues that go far deeper than its talent (or lack thereof) on offense. The circumstances surrounding Jeff Saturday’s hiring and Parks Frazier’s ascendence to offensive play caller reportedly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
Fantasy managers should not expect much from the Colts offense going forward. As a result, I would not feel great about starting anyone on this team other than a healthy Jonathan Taylor.
