Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Patriots with a lingering ankle injury, coach Frank Reich said Friday.
Taylor was not able to participate at practice earlier in the week and was not seen during the portion of the workout open to reporters on Friday.
Taylor has been nursing a sprained ankle for much of the 2022 season, but returned to play in Indy’s last two games against Tennessee and Washington after missing the club’s contests in Week 5 and Week 6. Most recently, he rushed 16 times for 76 yards and one lost fumble in the Colts’ 17–16 loss to the Commanders.
On the year, the 2021 first-team All-Pro has rushed 107 times for 462 yards, averaging a career-low 4.3 yards per carry in six games played.
Without Taylor in the fold—and with backup Nyheim Hines traded to Buffalo earlier in the week—Deon Jackson figures to take on the lead role Sunday. The second-year ballcarrier filled in for Taylor in Weeks 5 and 6 and rushed 25 times for 104 yards with a touchdown, in addition to catching 14 passes for 108 yards.
Phillip Lindsay and the recently acquired Zack Moss also figure to factor into the backfield rotation when the Colts take the field against the Patriots.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET in New England on Sunday.
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