How the Colts will replace Jonathan Taylor (ankle) if he can't play vs. Broncos

INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor's status for a looming Thursday night game remains up in the air after the Colts running back suffered a sprained ankle in Sunday's loss to the Titans, a league source told IndyStar.

Further tests on Taylor’s ankle were negative Monday, ESPN and the NFL Network reported Monday afternoon.

Colts head coach Frank Reich was non-committal on Taylor’s status in his Monday press conference.

“We’ve just got to evaluate it the next couple of days,” Reich said. “We’ll see how it goes this week.”

Taylor was not available in Monday’s open locker room session with the media. The running back is expected to be available Tuesday, according to a Colts spokesman.

More:Insider: Colts risk wasting Jonathan Taylor, the most prolific player they have

If Taylor is not able to play, Indianapolis would likely increase the role for Nyheim Hines, who has 17 catches this season but just eight carries for 11 yards as a runner.

The Colts might also turn to veteran running back Phillip Lindsay, who has spent the first four weeks on the practice squad.

“If JT’s not up, Phillip will work into the equation,” Reich said.

Lindsay would be returning home.

Born in Denver, raised in the Denver area and a star at Colorado, Lindsay first made the Broncos as an undrafted free agent and became a local sensation by rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons playing for his hometown team.

A turf toe injury at the start of Lindsay’s third season in Denver, though, robbed the running back of his effectiveness, and after a 502-yard campaign, Denver released Lindsay, making him a free agent for the 2021 season.

Lindsay spent the season bouncing between Miami and Houston, the two worst rushing teams in the NFL, and averaged just 2.7 yards on 77 carries during the 2021 season, putting him back on the market.

Indianapolis signed Lindsay as insurance for Taylor, released him in final cuts due to the heavy workload Taylor carries and eventually brought him back to the practice squad. Lindsay admits that going from a starter to a practice-squad player in three years has been hard.

“Any time that you get downgraded to something that you have no control over, it’s going to be tough,” Lindsay said. “There’s a life lesson to everything you do. When it’s my time, I’ll be ready to explode. Until then, I’ll keep pushing.”

The Colts might need Lindsay to explode Thursday.

A once-proud Indianapolis running game has been abysmal to start the season, ranking just 27th in the NFL despite the presence of Taylor, who ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing with 328 yards, largely due to the high volume of carries he’s been given this season.

If Taylor’s not able to play Thursday, Lindsay would have at least one more chance to show out in front of a hometown crowd.

He hasn’t played in Denver since he was a Bronco.

“I feel pretty good in this offense,” Lindsay said. “I feel like when my number is called, I’ll be ready.”