Colts' Jonathan Taylor Activated off PUP After Ankle Injury, Will Play vs. Titans

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will make his 2023 debut Sunday after he was activated off the physically unable to perform list on Saturday.

Taylor was initially listed as questionable to play against the Tennessee Titans when the team released its final injury report on Friday, but that designation was lifted Saturday once he was added to the active roster.

Running back Jake Funk was waived in a corresponding move.

Shortly after the Colts cleared Taylor for Sunday's game, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the two sides agreed to terms on a three-year, $42 million contract extension.

The plan, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, is to ease Taylor in: "A new contract doesn't mean an unleashed Jonathan Taylor," Russini wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I was told the Colts are going to be smart with his usage considering he hasn't played since last year because of his ankle. The Colts will have him on a count & ramp up his workload over the next month, per source."

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said earlier in the week that Taylor's practice window had been opened after he began the 2023 season on the PUP list, which prohibited him from playing or practicing with the team for the first four weeks of the season. Steichen noted that there was a chance he would be able to play against the Titans.

"He's in good shape," Steichen said of Taylor upon his return to practice. "Conditioning-wise, obviously putting on the pads and practicing is a different deal. I know it's been a long time since he's played football, so we'll see how practice goes this week, see where he is at physically from putting the pads on, and we'll go from there."

It was last season that Taylor suffered an ankle injury that limited him to 11 games and required offseason surgery. He did not participate in Indianapolis' offseason program amid his ongoing rehab and his unhappiness with the team.

Taylor had been engaged in a lengthy contract dispute with the Colts and requested to be traded from the franchise that drafted him with a second-round pick in 2020. However, they chose to hold on to him after not receiving an offer worthy of shipping away the 24-year-old speedster.

Taylor is not far removed from being considered among the best running backs in the NFL. In 2021, he led the league with 332 carries for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also added 40 catches for 360 yards and two scores on his way to earning his first Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro honors.

Getting Taylor back will be a strong boost to a Colts team that already has a solid run game with an average of 115.8 yards on the ground through the first four weeks of the season.