The Colts ended their standoff with Jonathan Taylor last October, assuring the running back would stick in Indy for the foreseeable future. With the former All-Pro locked in, the Colts front office had to watch as key backup Zack Moss took a starting gig with the Bengals this offseason.
Taylor has missed 13 games over the past two years, meaning the Colts RB2 should be in line for a significant role. With that in mind, ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes that veteran Trey Sermon is the “likeliest option” to take over that top backup gig following a standout performance at OTAs. Holder points out how Sermon’s “hard-running style” could be appealing to the Colts, and his familiarity with the offense gives him some leeway for the RB2 job.
The former third-round pick collected 193 yards with the 49ers as a rookie, but he was quickly squeezed out of a crowded RBs room. He spent the 2022 campaign in Philly before catching on with the Colts last year. He ended up getting into 14 games with Indy, collecting 173 yards from scrimmage.
He should see an uptick in those numbers next season, even if Taylor remains relatively healthy. The team doesn’t have many other experienced options at the position, although both Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson bring their own intrigue. Hull was a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft, but the Northwestern product spent the majority of his rookie campaign on IR. Goodson was also on the Colts in 2023, collecting 121 yards on 19 touches. Zavier Scott and Trent Pennix round out the depth chart.
“I love the room,” Sermon said of his fellow RBs (via Locked On Colts on YouTube). “Everybody’s a little bit different, but we’re all great running backs. We compete, we push each other. If one of us makes a big play, we’re all excited for each other.”
Ah yes, Tyler “Iron Hands” Goodson; who could forget him. Everyone loves Houston, top 10 in all power rankings; but if Goodson catches than easy toss any 5 year old could
catch; I wonder if it’s Indy in top 10 instead of usually in the 17-22 range? Would people coronate Stroud still, or would Houston be ranked 17-22?
Chris Ballard is an excellent GM in my opinion but unfortunately he has to work for an idiot owner named Irsay. The Colts have the potential to have a terrific offense if they can ever get Richardson to stay healthy. Indy would probably have the best running game tandem if they had been able to keep both Taylor and Moss.
Just imagine how bad they’d be without Chris.
The Colts led the league in Pro Bowl selections a couple of years ago so we know Ballard has a good eye for talent.