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Deon Jackson

Latest On Colts’ Backfield; Team Worked Out James Robinson

September 5th, 2023 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

With Jonathan Taylor sitting on the reserve/PUP list for at least the first four games of the 2023 campaign, the Colts backfield is plenty uncertain heading into Week 1. With Zack Moss also nursing an arm injury, it sounds like even the Colts don’t know who will lead the team in carries to start the season.

[RELATED: Chris Ballard Addresses Jonathan Taylor Situation]

“I think it’s running back-by-committee,” said head coach Shane Steichen (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “Whoever’s got the hot hand, let ‘em ride a little bit.”

Deon Jackson and Evan Hull are set to be the team’s two healthy RBs on Sunday against the Jaguars. Jackson has experience on his side, garnering 111 touches over the past two seasons (including 98 last season). However, the Duke product has averaged only 3.3 yards on his 81 career rushing attempts, and he’s proven to be much more productive in the passing game (including a 30-catch campaign in 2022).

Hull also projects to be more of a receiving back, but the 2023 fifth-round pick was a productive runner in college. Along with his 94 receptions (including 55 this past season), the Northwestern product collecting 2,417 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 488 carries.

As Steichen notes, Moss would be the clear RB1 if he was healthy. The former Bills draft pick had 334 yards on 69 carries in four games down the stretch while filling in for Taylor. He’s been sidelined throughout training camp and the preseason while recovering from a broken arm, and he finally returned to practice earlier this week. However, Moss isn’t expected to see a significant role as he makes up for lost time.

Considering the uncertainty on the depth chart, the front office is apparently considering options from outside the organization. Free agent running back James Robinson worked out for the Colts yesterday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Robinson has had a busy offseason. He inked a two-year deal with the Patriots back in March but was released a few months later. He later caught on with the Giants and spent the preseason with the club before getting cut. The 25-year-old split the 2022 season between the Jaguars and Jets, collecting 476 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns.

Teams are clearly still counting on the production Robinson showed during his rookie campaign. The former UDFA finished the 2020 season with 1,414 yards and 10 touchdowns. He suffered a torn Achilles at the end of the 2021 season that ended up costing him a chunk of the following campaign.

Colts GM Chris Ballard Addresses Jonathan Taylor Situation

September 2nd, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

With roster cutdown day having come and gone, Jonathan Taylor remains with the Colts for at least the time being. As a result, the 2021 rushing champion and the team still have time to find a way to continue their relationship, something general manager Chris Ballard recently spoke about.

Indianapolis granted Taylor permission to seek out a trade partner, and a number of teams showed interest in a trade which would, presumably, be conditional on a big-money extension being agreed to. The Dolphins and Packers are among the teams who reports have indicated would be prepared to give Taylor a deal placing him high in the RB pecking order. The Colts have not been willing to make such a commitment at this point, leading in large part to the current stalemate between player and team.

The 24-year-old will start the season on the PUP list, meaning he will be sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the season. A lingering ankle injury was named by Ballard as the reason for the designation, adding that Taylor will rehab the ailment at the team’s facility. Taylor had spent time away from the organization to recover earlier this offseason. Regarding the extension-eligible back’s contract situation, Ballard admitted he is in an unprecedented situation during his tenure while striking an optimistic tone.

“It’s where we’re at, and we’re got to work through it, and we’re going to do everything we can to work through it,” he said, via NFL.com’s Nick Schook. “Relationships are repairable. They’re repairable. When guys get emotional and take a stance, you’ve got to be able to work through those. We’ve got work to do. We got work to do on the relationship. We got work to do to find a solution to the problem and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

It remains to be seen if said solution will see Taylor play out the final year of his rookie contract in Indianapolis, or if a trade sending him elsewhere is still in the cards. A drop in asking price – a first-round pick or a similarly-valued collection of draft capital – will likely be required for the Colts to be satisfied by an offer in time for the trade deadline. In the meantime, interest will no doubt still remain around the league as Ballard and Co. set about trying to salvage the situation with their top offensive player.

With Taylor not in the picture to start the campaign, the Colts will have to move forward with Deon Jackson atop the depth chart. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports the former UDFA will handle starting duties in Indianapolis’ season opener against the Jaguars. Jackson saw 68 carries last year, during part of which Taylor was sidelined with the ankle injury. An uptick in usage will be in order for Jackson in at least the short term.

2022 trade acquisition Zack Moss is making progress in his recovery from a broken arm, Wilson adds. Moss suffered the injury at the end of July, and his Week 1 availability was put in doubt as a result. Wilson reports that the former Bills third-rounder is expected to miss the first two or three games of the season. His return after that missed time will be welcomed given Taylor’s absence, but it will be interesting to see how much progress will have been made regarding the latter by that point.

Jonathan Taylor Leaves Colts Camp To Rehab Ankle Injury

August 8th, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The latest development in this enduring Colts-Jonathan Taylor drama involves the running back’s attendance. Taylor was not with the Colts at their Tuesday practice, and ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder notes it was by design.

Residing on the Colts’ active/PUP list, Taylor has left the team facility to rehab his ankle at an unspecified offsite location. The team has been informed of Taylor’s plans to rehab offsite, and Holder adds the absence is expected to last several days. Taylor has not practiced with the Colts since last season and has expressed frustration about his contract to the point a trade request emerged.

Taylor’s trade request still stands, and while rumors about this PUP stay doubling as a hold-in effort have swirled during this turbulent period, it is interesting the fourth-year running back is still in need of rehab after undergoing surgery in January. The procedure on Taylor’s injured ankle was believed to be minimally invasive in nature. The Colts have cited Taylor’s 2022 injury, which caused him to miss six games, as a reason for tabling extension talks. Jim Irsay pronounced Taylor ready to go just before camp, but that has proven to be far from the case.

Rumblings about Taylor complaining of back and hamstring pain at camp led to a rumor the team was considering shifting him to the active/NFI list. Taylor has denied making such a complaint. A move from PUP to NFI would affect Taylor’s $4.3MM 2023 base salary (and potentially destroy this fractured relationship). As of last week, the Colts were not likely to make that designation switch. And Taylor needing ankle treatment would not allow for such a move, since this rehab effort pertains to an injury he suffered while playing in 2022.

Although rumors have circulated regarding trade interest in Taylor, this ankle issue would stand to diminish any market that may or may not be forming. The running back position has sustained steady blows this year, and even while residing as one of the position’s young aces, Taylor not being ready six-plus months after a minor surgery likely will keep him in Indianapolis. Irsay has already indicated no trade is coming, and the ankle problem will make it unlikely a worthwhile offer comes Indy’s way.

Already down backup Zack Moss due to a broken arm and Deon Jackson due to an unspecified injury, the Colts signed Kenyan Drake late last week. Drake, who worked out for the team, is going into his age-29 season. Drake signed a one-year deal worth $1.17MM, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who adds the pact comes with $153K guaranteed.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/23

January 9th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

A few transactions on the first day of the postseason:

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Bailey and Jones’s suspension was lifted today by the Patriots. In addition, free agent tight end Chris Herndon and Packers offensive lineman Sean Rhyan‘s suspensions were lifted by the league.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor Ruled Out, Expected To Avoid IR

November 4th, 2022 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

For the third time this season, Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor will be held out of action for the weekend, according to Mike Chappell of Fox59. The absence of Taylor will pave the way for Deon Jackson to make his second start of the season.

After an awe-inducing sophomore season in which he led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns, Taylor’s third year in the league has not gone according to plan. He started off hot with a 161-yard day in the team’s season-opening tie with the Texans but quickly cooled off as the offense dealt with growing pains and he dealt with an ankle injury.

Th ankle injury would force Taylor to miss two straight games in October. In his second game back from the injury absence, Taylor aggravated the right ankle during a loss to the Commanders. The injury that has already caused him to miss two games already could continue to hurt the Colts. Despite ruling Taylor out for this game, head coach Frank Reich has no plans to place him on injured reserve, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic. The injury appears to be a week-to-week issue that the Colts want flexibility in dealing with for now.

With Taylor out, Jackson will get another chance to lead the Colts’ rushing attack. In two weeks without Taylor so far this year, Jackson has earned a combined 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, adding 14 catches for 108 yards through the air. The offense stands to look a bit different with Sam Ehlinger playing quarterback in place of Matt Ryan, but Jackson still figures to earn the lion’s share of the carries.

Although the Colts were able to acquire former Bills running back Zack Moss when trading away Nyheim Hines, Moss has only been with the team a couple of days and likely won’t have a very good grasp of the offense. Indianapolis is expected to elevate practice squad running back Phillip Lindsay for Sunday’s matchup in Foxborough, as they did the previous two games without Taylor. Lindsay contributed in his Colts debut with 11 carries for 40 yards but was relegated to a lesser role the following week, only carrying the ball three times for seven yards.

Giving Moss more time to practice and learn the offense may eventually dull the need for Lindsay, but for now, the Colts’ rushing offense will rely on the legs of Jackson and Lindsay as long as Taylor is out. As long as Taylor remains a week-to-week case, this will continue to be the gameplan.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/1/21

November 1st, 2021 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Colts Activate DL Dayo Odeyingbo From NFI List, Waive RB Jordan Wilkins

October 30th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dayo Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles in January but still managed to become a second-round pick. The Colts rookie appears set to make his NFL debut less than eight months later.

The Colts activated Odeyingbo from their non-football injury list Saturday, introducing the prospect of its top two draft picks playing together on the defensive line early. A Vanderbilt product viewed as a player who can line up at both defensive end and D-tackle, Odeyingbo went down while training for the draft. Like Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons in 2019, Odeyingbo is set to see rookie-year action after suffering a major injury during the winter.

Indianapolis selected defensive end Kwity Paye in the first round and followed that up by selecting Odeyingbo in Round 2. The team let Denico Autry defect to Tennessee in free agency and did not re-sign Justin Houston. The Paye-Odeyingbo pair represents the Colts’ hopeful replacements. Odeyingbo, who goes 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds, recorded 12 tackles for loss as a junior with the Commodores and added 5.5 sacks as a senior. Paye has yet to record a sack in four-plus games played this season but has recovered two fumbles.

Among the other roster moves the Colts made before this afternoon’s Week 8 deadline, the team cut running back Jordan Wilkins. A 2018 draftee, Wilkins has backed up Marlon Mack and then Jonathan Taylor for more than three seasons. But fellow 2018 pick Nyheim Hines‘ passing-down and special teams ability won out, moving Hines higher on the depth chart and leading to an extension. Wilkins still saw sporadic time in the backfield from 2018-20 and resides as an interesting waiver option.

Wilkins averaged 5.6 yards per carry as a rookie and 6.0 per tote in 2019, seeing increased time when Mack missed games with injuries. The former fifth-round pick was not as efficient last season (3.7 per carry on a career-high 84 handoffs) and has not received a carry this year. Still, with the Colts previously placing Mack on the trade block, this Wilkins cut is an interesting decision.

The Colts promoted running back Deon Jackson and safety Josh Jones to their active roster and activated linebacker Jordan Glasgow from IR. Indianapolis also waived defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South

September 1st, 2021 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Houston Texans

Signed to practice squad: 

Indianapolis Colts

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Tennessee Titans

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad: 

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list:

Colts Down To 53

August 31st, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have reached the 53-man limit. On Tuesday, Indy formally:

Waived

Released

Waived/Injured

Placed on Reserve/NFI

  • DE Dayo Odeyingbo

Hundley’s release signals that the Colts aren’t all that concernedabout Carson Wentz‘s foot, or his vaccination status. The move comes even after sixth-round rookie Sam Ehlinger suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for a good chunk of time. The real takeaway is that they’re comfortable with 2020 fourth-round pick Jacob Eason, — he’s now the only other healthy quarterback behind Wentz on the initial roster.

Colts Bring In 5 UDFAs

May 8th, 2021 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have assembled their post-draft group, agreeing to terms with five UDFAs. Here is Indianapolis’ initial undrafted haul:

The Colts gave Jackson a lofty (for a UDFA) signing bonus, with NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweeting the ex-Duke back will collect $45K to sign. Only two running backs clocked faster 40-yard dash times at 2021 pro days than Jackson’s 4.4-second sprint, according to Colts.com. Despite not topping 175 carries in any of his college seasons, Jackson totaled 2,267 rushing yards during a three-season run as a starter.

Vaughns will join former Trojans teammate Michael Pittman Jr. with the Colts; the former enjoyed a four-year run as a key USC aerial contributor. Working with Sam Darnold and 2022 first-round prospect Kedon Slovis, Vaughns totaled 2,801 receiving yards and 20 touchdown catches in four seasons. The 6-foot-2 wideout also saw extensive action as a punt returner. He posted 800-plus-yard seasons as a freshman and junior and was on pace for another in the Pac-12’s COVID-19-abbreviated 2020 slate.

Kaufusi will follow brothers Corbin and Bronson into the NFL. A 2016 Ravens draftee, Bronson played for the Ravens and Jets from 2017-19. The Packers and 49ers, respectively, gave Bronson and Corbin reserve/futures contracts in January. Father Steve Kaufusi also played in the NFL, spending time with the Buddy Ryan-era Eagles.