The Colts are going to be without one of their top offensive playmakers as they look for their second win of the season in Week 5.
Jonathan Taylor is set to miss Indianapolis' "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the Broncos because of an ankle injury. This marks the conclusion of an impressive iron-man streak for the former Wisconsin running back.
It will also leave the Colts a bit shorthanded at running back, and that could become a problem for the team.
Indianapolis hasn't had a good running game so far in 2022. The Colts have averaged just 87.8 yards per game to begin the season; that ranks just 26th in the NFL after they had the second-ranked rush offense in the league last year.
With Taylor out, the Colts will need to see some of their other players step up to avoid putting the weight of offensive success entirely on the shoulders of Matt Ryan.
The good news is that the Colts do have a couple of experienced options on their depth chart to help pick up the slot. They are both on the smaller size, but the team has a couple of big, young backs that will be able to help in between-the-tackles roles.
Below is a breakdown of the Colts' running back depth chart without Taylor and what the pecking order will be as they face the Broncos.
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Colts RB depth chart
1. Nyheim Hines
Hines will technically move to the top of the Colts' depth chart and will probably see more snaps than his backfield counterparts. However, he isn't likely to carry the bulk of the workload given his size.
Hines stands at 5-9, 196 pounds and is at his best as a receiver out of the backfield. He can handle carries between the tackles, too, but the Colts have given him 10-plus carries just five times in 69 career games. And even in his 15 career starts, he has averaged just 4.6 carries per game.
In all likelihood, Hines will continue to be the team's primary third-down back and will see more action than usual in early-down situations. Still, Indianapolis will be tapping into its depth to make sure it doesn't overwork Hines in Taylor's absence.
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2. Deon Jackson
Jackson isn't a household name but the 23-year-old has been with the Colts since going undrafted in 2021. The Duke product originally landed on Indy's practice squad that season but was added to the active roster on Nov. 1. He has remained there since and is normally the team's third-string back.
Jackson, 23, was a solid back at Duke and averaged 723 rushing yards and seven touchdowns per season in his final three years with the Blue Devils. He stuck with the Colts after shining in the 2021 preseason, logging 110 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
To date, Jackson (6-0, 218 pounds) has played just 18 career offensive snaps at the NFL level. He has totaled 28 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He will begin Thursday's game as the top between-the-tackles back, but his grip on the position is tenuous, despite his competition coming chiefly from the practice squad.
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3. Phillip Lindsay
The Colts have Lindsay stashed on their practice squad right now, and the former Bronco will garner "strong consideration" for a call-up to the active roster with Taylor out, per Colts coach Frank Reich.
Lindsay (5-8, 190 pounds) went undrafted out of Colorado in 2018 but became a Pro Bowl talent in his first season in Denver. He ran for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons before regressing in 2020. Since then, he has bounced to several teams including the Texans, Dolphins and now the Colts.
Lindsay averaged just 2.8 yards per carry during the 2021 NFL season on 88 attempts but he has averaged 4.5 during his career. The 28-year-old will likely get some of the work in conjunction with Jackson, and Indianapolis may be content to ride the hot hand after that.
Whatever his role may be, Lindsay is looking forward to playing against the Broncos for the first time since leaving the team during the 2021 offseason.
"That's home base," Lindsay said of Denver, per Colts.com. "That's where I met my wife, that's where we had our kids and it's going to be exciting if I get an opportunity to go back home."
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4. D'Vonte Price
The only thing that could spoil Lindsay's potential return to Denver would be Reich deciding to call up Price instead of Lindsay. The 23-year-old signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent during the 2022 offseason and earned a spot on Indy's practice squad.
Price has good size at 6-2, 210 pounds, and he racked up 40 yards on 11 carries during the 2022 NFL preseason. That said, he has no regular-season playing experience, so given that and Reich's comments, it seems more likely that Lindsay will get the call-up with Price remaining fourth on the depth chart.
