INDIANAPOLIS -- Even before the Indianapolis Colts embarked on a game-winning drive during a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons last November, running back Jonathan Taylor already had accumulated a season-high 26 rushing attempts.
Turns out, he was just getting started.
Taylor would carry the ball six more times on the ensuing 7-play, 57-yard drive. He scored the walk-off, winning touchdown with an 8-yard run with 3:36 remaining in overtime -- on his 32nd carry of the day.
And at no point during the decisive drive did Colts coach Shane Steichen spend one second worrying about Taylor's workload.
"You can feel it on the sidelines [while] calling the game when guys are rolling," Steichen said after Taylor's 244-yard performance. "He was rolling."
But after the season, during which Taylor had a league-high 323 rushes, Steichen and the Colts did finally confront the wear and tear on their most explosive player. There weren't necessarily regrets; Taylor came out of the season mostly healthy. But as the Colts ramp up for the 2026 season, their usage of Taylor is something the Colts admit they need to navigate.
There's just one problem.
"Obviously, he's a hell of a player," Steichen said recently. "It's hard to take him off the field when he's running so good."
The rationale is easy to understand. Taylor has rushed for 1,431 and 1,585 yards, respectively, in the past two seasons. Given his elite production, the Colts have opted to roll with Taylor even when he's shouldering a heavier load than just about any other back.
But is all this sustainable?