Colts' Jonathan Taylor Taking Massive Strides in Pass Game

Indianapolis Colts' running back Jonathan Taylor has emerged as a three-down weapon in 2025.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes with the ball Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, during a game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts' running back Jonathan Taylor has been one of the best players at his position since entering the league in 2020.

He rushed for 1,000 yards as a rookie and then followed it up with one of the best seasons in franchise history, earning first-team All-Pro honors as a result. While injuries have hurt his raw numbers since his historic 2021 season, he finished the 2024 campaign with 1,431 yards rushing in just 14 games played.

Taylor is off to another fantastic start in 2025, leading the NFL in rushing yards through two weeks (with 236). While Taylor's dominance in the run game isn't anything new, his newfound prowess in the pass game certainly is.

A pair of AFC South RBs are atop the rushing yards leaders 👀 pic.twitter.com/tNQtFyVBoO

— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2025

In the Colts' first two games, Taylor has hauled in five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. His previous career high of 40 receptions back in 2021 could be in danger of falling if he continues at the same pace.

On top of his receiving ability taking a step forward, Taylor has also shown a massive improvement in pass protection. This has always been the Achilles' heel of his game, as he has shown struggles in this area since day one.

Pro Football Focus graded him out as one of the worst pass-blocking running backs in the NFL from 2020 to 2022, and, while it was a step forward at least, he also graded well below average in each of the past two seasons.

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PFF currently has Taylor second in the NFL, behind only D'Andre Swift, in terms of pass block grade among running backs with more than 10 pass blocking snaps. The Colts have faced an onslaught of blitzes in the first two weeks, and Taylor's ability to step up and pick up free rushers has helped keep Daniel Jones clean in the backfield.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) hands the ball off to Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, during a game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Shane Steichen spoke highly of Taylor's improvements as a pass catcher, dishing out praise to the veteran for his performance through two weeks. "I thought he did some really good things," he said. "They brought a lot of pressure there. I thought he stepped up, fit up his blocks pretty darn good. So, that was good to see from that standpoint. Obviously, ran the ball hard, but the pass protection was pretty solid when he had to make his one-on-one blocks there."

When you factor in Taylor's continued dominance in the ground game, along with his notable improvement in the pass game, this might be the best version of Jonathan Taylor that we've seen in the NFL.

He is checking every single box in year six, and the Colts are surging to a hot start partly due to his excellence. The video below is just a quick breakdown of how great Taylor has been in the pass game to start this season.