Report: Colts Could Turn to Phillip Lindsay if Jonathan Taylor Can’t Play Thursday vs. Broncos

Oct 4, 2022 - 3:00 PM

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Indianapolis Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor suffered an ankle injury during the team’s Week 4 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, tests for Taylor’s ankle came back negative and he has a chance to play Thursday against the Denver Broncos.

Colts’ head coach Frank Reich spoke with local media members on Monday and provided some insight into how the team will monitor Taylor’s injury and their plan should he not be able to play.

“We’ve just got to evaluate it the next couple of days,” Reich said, via the IndyStar. “We’ll see how it goes this week.”

The next few practices will likely be key in determining the All-Pro backs’ status for Thursday. If Taylor is unable to play, the Colts may turn to former Broncos’ running back Phillip Lindsay to take on a majority of the workload along with running back Nyheim Hines.

“If JT’s not up, Phillip will work into the equation,” Reich said, via the IndyStar.

Lindsay, who went undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, found success early on in his career with the Broncos, rushing for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019 and scoring a combined 16 touchdowns through those two seasons.

After a strong start with the Broncos, injuries hurt Lindsay’s availability, as he only started a total of nine games for Denver in 2020. In 2021, Lindsay played in ten games for the Houston Texans and rushed for only 131 yards before being cut in November and signed by the Miami Dolphins, where he would start only one game.

While the tests did come back negative on Taylor’s ankle injury, it’s better to be cautious, especially going into a short week. The last thing you want to do if you’re Indianapolis is rush Taylor back if he’s not ready and potentially cause further issues with his ankle.

Indianapolis signed Lindsay, a former Pro Bowl running back, to have him available if Taylor was going to miss time with an injury. With Taylor’s status uncertain for Thursday, Lindsay may get his chance to start for the Colts against his former team.