2024-08-05 23:22:02
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is looking his best in training camp.
He’s happy, healthy and focused, a stark contrast to a player who suffered an ankle injury last summer and was sullen about a nasty contract dispute.
His teammates understand that this surprising turnaround is the result of Taylor working on business issues with his team. Now, however, they hope the return of his carefree attitude will also allow him to return to his best after two injury-plagued seasons.
“As soon as JT was on the team, his impact, his leadership, his energy, that’s what I valued because I knew he had overcome those obstacles,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said on Sunday’s sultry game. Said after training. “Having him on the field means a lot. “He’s the best running back in the league. “
That was certainly the case in 2020, when Taylor was forced to shoulder a heavier load than most rookies due to injury, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. The same holds true in 2021, when Taylor became the NFL’s leading rusher, beating out two-time champion Derrick Henry.
Two seasons later, Taylor is one of the best running backs in the league. He rushed for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns while catching 76 passes for 659 yards and three touchdowns.
Then injuries hit and Taylor’s career changed direction.
He missed six games in 2022 with a sprained ankle that limited him to 861 yards and four touchdowns, and after offseason surgery, he missed the Colts’ 2023 offseason, including all Training camp, the preseason and the first four games of the regular season come as he enters the final year of his contract.
Suddenly, the seemingly unflappable Taylor found himself making headlines for all the wrong reasons – he was torching running backs for being underpaid, meeting with team owner Jim Irsay in his RV, And a group of people were watching the Colts’ afternoon game. Team management responded by allowing Taylor to seek out teams interested in his services.
Fans believe the broken relationship can never be fixed. Taylor signed a three-year, $42 million contract extension before his season debut in October, which seemed to improve the situation and allow him to focus on regaining his All-Pro form.
“It’s almost like you’re taking a test,” Taylor said of the new start to the season. “When you know you’re not studying, you’re a little skeptical, but when you know you’ve had a full pre-season, you know the time you’ve spent and the effort you’ve put in, you can’t wait to get going and attack it.”
There’s no doubt that Taylor, 25, feels she has a lot to prove.
Some cautious recruiters thought the former New Jersey high school star’s workload would result in a short-lived career. Taylor rushed 926 times in three years at Wisconsin and was just 23 yards away from becoming the first college player to rush for 2,000 yards in three seasons.
Now, after rushing for 1,602 yards and 11 touchdowns the past two seasons, Taylor wants to show everyone he can bounce back, and he hinted late last season that it was possible.
Taylor continued his slow start, coming close to 100 yards three times in six weeks while sharing passes with Zach Moss. He ended with 188 yards rushing, ending a 13-game 100-yard drought that ended in a loss to the Houston Rockets.
Now, all five offensive linemen are back, Moss is now in Cincinnati, and Taylor is teamed up with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, a strong-legged player returning from injury. His rookie season was cut short and he only played one game with Taylor.
Taylor and others are eager to know the results.
“That’s something I didn’t have last year,” Taylor said with his usual smile when asked about working with Richardson this offseason. “So any time you can get consistent reps with your quarterback, it’s always a big advantage. “I’m excited about where we are right now. “
1722900596
#contract #healthy #offseason #change #Colts #Jonathan #Taylors #image
