Colts' Jonathan Taylor Absent from Practice to Rehab Ankle Injury; HC Eyes Return

Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts remain intertwined in a contract dilemma that has resulted in the star running back requesting a trade, and the veteran's absence from training camp on Tuesday had fans worried.

However, it appears fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters that Taylor's absence is rehab-related as he was receiving treatment on his ankle.

Stephen Holder of ESPN reported Taylor is rehabbing his ankle off-site.

Taylor appeared in just 11 games last season as he battled through pain in his ankle. He suffered the injury in a Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans and was never fully healthy for the remainder of the year.

The 24-year-old underwent ankle surgery in January, and Colts owner Jim Irsay said last month that the running back was "healed up" with training camp on the horizon.

However, Taylor remains on the physically unable to perform list and it's unclear when he'll be activated. While he hadn't participated in any training camp practices up to this point, he was present on the sidelines watching practices.

If the Colts are going to bounce back from a 4-12-1 finish last season, they're going to need Taylor fully healthy and ready to go in 2023 to support rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson in the backfield.