The Indianapolis Colts need big years from Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor

For the Indianapolis Colts to be successful in 2024, two players need to be at the top of their game. Quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor will be counted on heavily to lead the Colts offense as they battle in the AFC South this upcoming season.

Richardson went from a combine star to a first round draft pick overnight in 2023. The Colts took Richardson fourth overall in the 2023 NFL draft, although his overall play at Florida was spotty to say the least. 

One of the biggest questions he had to answer was—could he stay healthy with the way he plays? After year one, the answer is a resounding no. He played four games in 2023, before being lost for the season with a shoulder injury. In the four games he led the Colts to a 2-2 record while throwing for 577 yards and three touchdowns, with only one interception. 

Richardson’s reckless style of play leads to the notion of injury troubles going forward. One thing the team wants him to do a better job at is stepping up in the pocket and moving his feet while still between the tackles. Richardson’s first move is to take off and he opens himself up to taking hard, physical hits. The Colts have a nice stable of receivers in Michael Pittman Jr, Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce and Anthony Gould. The offense has a chance to be a good unit, but for it to be a potent one, they need the “old” Jonathan Taylor.

In 2021, Jonathan Taylor was an elite running back for the Indianapolis Colts. He led the NFL with 1,811 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. The past two seasons, Taylor has not been able to stay healthy, playing 11 and 10 games respectively. 

A healthy Taylor in 2024 creates a balanced offense for Indianapolis, and takes away some of the aggressiveness teams can use towards Richardson. It is hard for a defensive coordinator to be overly aggressive with blitzes and stunts, when Jonathan Taylor is at the top of his game. Towards the end of the 2023 season, Taylor showed the explosiveness and power that made him an NFL elite running back. 

In 2023, the Colts offense finished 15th in total yards, averaging 336.8 yards per game. 

With a healthy Richardson and Taylor in 2024, Indianapolis has the potential and ceiling to be a dynamic offense that could push them towards a wild card spot, and even challenge the Houston Texans in the AFC South.