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Former Indianapolis Colts RB Edgerrin James talks about Jonathan Taylor.
The Indianapolis Colts know a think or two about stud running backs. Even going back to their days in Baltimore, they had guys like Lenny Moore, Lydell Mitchell and Tom Matte (TMI?). Since moving to Indianapolis under the cover of night in 1984, their tradition of great runners continued with the likes of Eric Dickerson (overrated, fight me. Fumbled way too much), Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James among others.
Now, they have another dynamite runner in Jonathan Taylor. He would have been an MVP candidate if the wheels didn’t thoroughly fall off of the Colts’ wagon this year.
Still, he had a monster 2025 season. He started all 17 games (pretty important) and rushed an NFL-leading 323 times for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns (also led the NFL). His 84 first downs topped the league and don’t forget he caught 46 balls for another 378 yards and two touchdowns.
He must be exhausted.
Hall of Famer Edgerrin James has taken notice of Jonathan Taylor’s greatness
The aforementioned James – a Pro Football Hall of Famer – has obviously taken note as well. James is probably the best running back in Colts’ history, but if Taylor keeps it up, that could change.
He recently did an interview with Hard Rock Bet (because everything is gambling related these days) and talked about what he sees from Taylor.
“I love the way he runs,” James said. “This season, I loved the way he took the lead when it came to taking control of the offense.
“When you have so much change at the quarterback position, it takes a real running back to say, “Hey, look, I’m going to be the focal point. I know a lot of people are going to be focused on me, but I have to try to carry this team until the quarterback gets up to speed.”
And that’s exactly what Taylor did. One could argue that he is a perfect complement to Daniel Jones, who will probably never be a prolific fantasy football quarterback, but if he’s in an incubator he can win a lot of games.
“Taylor has been doing his part and more,” James said while noting his durability. “He’s taken advantage of every opportunity and, more importantly, he is keeping himself healthy.
“It’s clear he’s doing everything it takes to take care of his body. In my opinion, running back is the toughest position on the field physically. So, for him to show up week in, week out, that says a lot about him, his offseason training and his preparation through the week.”
Edgerrin James talks about the position of running back in the NFL and how Jonathan Taylor fits in
James was also asked about where Taylor ranks in the NFL amongst the other great running backs.
“When I look at the top running backs, it’s hard to choose one over the others,” he continued. “Taylor is right at the top, though. I’ll always have some bias towards Indianapolis Colts players, but all those guys are great.”
It was interesting that James also points out a recent trend. Could the running back position be gaining steam again? It’s been devalued for the passing game for years now, but running backs seem to be flexing again as many teams have gone to smaller, faster defenses to stop the pass.
“These guys are in a position that became devalued over the years, but now you’re getting a chance to see that everything is running through the running backs, so to speak, when it comes to the offense,” James said.
Taylor is certainly one of the backs making a case that they should get paid more, that’s for sure.
Micah Warren Micah Warren has been covering the NFL – and sports in general – for more than 20 years and he began writing for Heavy in 2025. His work has been featured in Yahoo!, MSN.com, Forbes, amNewYork, Off the Record, GCobb.com, Muck Rack, PR Daily, Blast Magazine and other sports and non-sports-related outlets. More about Micah Warren
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