Indianapolis Colts Running Back Jonathan Taylor Undergoes Thumb Surgery

Posted on: November 29, 2023, 12:06h. 

Last updated on: November 29, 2023, 10:04h.

Pauly McGuire Read More
Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

Jonathan Taylor, the starting running back from the Indianapolis Colts, sustained a right thumb injury in Week 12 during a victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jonathan Taylor Colts
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor lunges for the goal line while two defenders from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers attempt to bring him down at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Image: Getty)

Taylor jammed his thumb in the first half on Sunday. Despite the thumb injury, Taylor played the entire second half. He scored two touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards in a big win against the Bucs on Sunday.

Taylor underwent an MRI on Monday and was diagnosed with ligament damage on his right hand. The Colts were worried about his ability to grip the ball, so he underwent surgery.

Hopefully it’s only two weeks, but time will tell,” team owner Jim Irsay told The Athletic. “Not a lot of confidence in controlling (the) ball and the hand strength at this point. So, the decision has been made to move forward in that direction.”

Head coach Shane Steichen indicated that Taylor would miss multiple weeks with the thumb injury, but he’s not heading to the IR.

A minimum IR stint is four weeks, so the Colts expect Taylor to recover from surgery in a couple of weeks.

Zack Moss Next Man Up After Taylor’s Injury

Taylor sought a contract extension in the offseason, but negotiations broke down. He requested a trade, but the Colts didn’t find any suitable trade partners. The Colts and Taylor finally worked out a deal and he remained on the roster after he inked a three-year extension worth $42 million.

Taylor missed the beginning of the season while he recovered from an ankle injury. In four games without Taylor, the Colts were 2-2. The Colts have a 4-3 record with Taylor back in the lineup.

Taylor has rushed 100 times for 414 yards with four touchdowns this season. He’s added 16 catches for 137 yards and one touchdown reception.

Running back Zack Moss thrived earlier in the season as the starter. Moss has 141 carries for 672 yards and five touchdowns. He averages 4.8 yards per carry. He also added 18 receptions and one receiving touchdown.

The Colts also have former Ohio State running back Trevor Sermon on the roster, but he’s seen limited action this season. Rookie running back Evan Hull, a fifth-round pick from Northwestern, is on the IR with a knee injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus.

Taylor won the NFL’s rushing title in 2021 with 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns. An ankle injury cut short the 2022 season, and Taylor appeared in only 11 games last season.

Betting the Wild-Card Colts

The Colts are in the middle of a fierce fight for a playoff berth, so an injury to Taylor couldn’t have happened at a worse time.

The Colts have been playing with a backup quarterback for most of the season. Rookie Antony Richardson, the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, earned the starting QB job in the preseason. Richardson sustained a season-ending shoulder injury, and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew took over as the starter.

With Minshew at the helm, the Colts are 6-5 and in the thick of a playoff hunt. The Colts currently hold down the final postseason berth as an AFC wild-card team. They would earn the #7 seed if the season ended today.

The Colts have a 7-4 record against the point spread. While betting the points under has been a popular betting trend this season, the over has hit seven times in 11 games for the Colts this season.

The Colts are a -1 favorite against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville in Week 13. The Titans are 5-6 ATS this season.

The Colts are +100 odds to make the playoffs, and -130 odds to miss the postseason. Upshot predicts the Colts have a 42% chance to make the playoffs, but have only a 1% chance to win their division.

The Jacksonville Jaguars occupy first place in the AFC South at 8-3, and the Colts and Texans are both 6-5. The Colts hold a tiebreaker over the Texans, so they hold down second place. The Jaguars are a huge favorite to win the division at -1050 odds, followed by the Texans (+800) and Colts (+1800).

The Colts are +5000 odds to win the AFC Championship, and they’re +12000 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII.