Somehow, Jonathan Taylor just keeps going.
You think he couldn't possibly break through the wall of defenders in front of him, and then he finds a way to sneak through. You think he couldn't possibly withstand the hits he takes, and then he gets back up. You think he couldn't possibly get another yard, and then he gets two – or three, or four, or five.
You think he couldn't possibly score another touchdown, much less one more after that.
But he does.
Any doubt about what Taylor is capable of is long gone. The only question that's left to even try to answer is this:
"What can't he do?"
Through the Colts' first seven games of the 2025 season, Taylor has 697 yards on 131 carries with 11 total touchdowns (10 rushing, one receiving). The running back is the only player in the NFL to currently have double-digit touchdowns, and he's the first player to have at least three games with three or more rushing touchdowns in a season since Derrick Henry in 2021 with the Tennessee Titans. Taylor is also the first player in Colts history to accomplish the feat.
Ask Taylor about that success, though, and he'll immediately credit to his offensive line, and for good reason; in his three touchdown runs against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Taylor was barely touched as he navigated through defenders to cross the goal line.
"I try to give them as much praise as possible because they do a lot of heavy lifting and dirty work," Taylor said after the Colts' 38-24 win over the Chargers. "They really make the job easy."
Here's the thing, though: what Taylor is doing isn't easy, and it certainly isn't something anyone else is doing. 16 carries for 94 yards and three touchdowns is not the norm, even in the NFL.
"It's just unbelievable, really," tackle Bernhard Raimann said. "Blocking for him — blocking one way, but he breaks a tackle and all of a sudden bounces out the other way and makes something happen whether we have the blocking scheme right or not. He just makes it happen. And it's just unbelievable to watch that either which way, the defense is always wrong with him, it seems like."
Taylor's knack to find space at the line of scrimmage and his ability to weave in and out of defenders – neither of which you can truly teach – were both on display in SoFi Stadium, as Taylor carved out a 23-yard run for his first score of the day, zigzagged across the field for an eight-yard touchdown and, finally, surged 19 yards for his third touchdown.
"He's a threat to score anywhere on the field," wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said. "Like, could be backed up, we could be in the red zone, JT's going to get the ball and he's going to go."
"That makes it easy for us when he does that," quarterback Daniel Jones said.
Jones and the Colts offense have been operating with a palpable level of trust on all levels this season, and Taylor's presence in the backfield is a big reason why. He and Jones were able to establish rapport early on in training camp, and the two just always seem to be on the same page – and with that, so is the whole offense.
"Now, when we see things throughout the year, it's almost like that second time seeing it," Taylor explained. "So I think we're just hitting on all cylinders right now."
"Being able to hand the ball to him when maybe something hasn't gone as well or you're a little out of rhythm, being able to hand him the ball and let him pop an explosive run or keep you in positive down and distances with the chance to keep driving, that's huge," Jones said.
At this point, Taylor's impact on the Colts is unquantifiable. Yes, you can look at the numbers and very quickly understand how talented Taylor is. You can watch the tape and see Taylor's talent firsthand. Sometimes, though, all you need to do is hear it from the people who know him best.
"He's the best back in the league right now," head coach Shane Steichen said. "There's no doubt."
