Who on the 2025 Indianapolis Colts offense is the team’s best candidate to win the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award?

Who on the 2025 Indianapolis Colts offense is the team’s best candidate to win the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award this season?

Pro Football Network’s Jacob Infante recently selected his top Offensive Player of the Year candidate for each team. When it came to the Colts, he selected running back Jonathan Taylor.

“In the midst of all of their quarterback instability, one thing has been constant for the Indianapolis Colts‘ offense: Jonathan Taylor putting up big numbers,” wrote Infante. “Granted, health has been an issue for Taylor over the years. However, he finished fourth in the NFL with 1,431 rushing yards last season, despite missing three games due to injury. If he can stay healthy for a full 17 games, there’s no telling what his numbers could look like.”

Putting up big numbers on the offensive side of the ball is a key element to winning this award, and Taylor has often done that throughout his career.

Last year, this award went to Eagles‘ running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for over 2,000 yards.

Taylor would finish the 2024 season rushing for over 1,400 yards and doing so in only 14 games. He totaled the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL, and his 4.7 yards per carry ranked 11th, per PFF.

Understandably so, much of the focus will be on the quarterback position for the Colts, but Taylor and the run game’s presence will help provide the offense with consistency and take some of the workload off the quarterback’s shoulders.

When an offense has a strong running game to lean on, it keeps them ahead of the sticks and out of obvious passing situations. Operating from manageable down-and-distances can open up opportunities through the air as well.

The offensive line obviously plays a key role in that run game success, and this year compared to last, the Colts have some added unknowns up front with Tanor Bortolini presumably taking over for Ryan Kell and Matt Goncalves presumably taking over for Will Fries. Those two hitting the ground running will be important to the overall success on offense as well.