Jonathan Taylor Has Passed a Mark Set by Edgerrin James — and Planted One Foot Inside the Colts’ Hall of Legends

The Indianapolis Colts did not finish the season the way anyone inside the building envisioned. What began as a 7–1 surge slowly unraveled under the weight of injuries, inconsistency, and missed opportunities, closing the door on playoff hopes earlier than expected. Yet even as the season slipped away, something else was quietly taking shape — something that forced the franchise’s history to shift, almost imperceptibly at first.

There were no champagne celebrations.
No postseason clinchers.
Just a running back who kept carrying the ball as if every snap still mattered.

In a late-season game defined more by pride than stakes, Jonathan Taylor ran with the same urgency that has defined his career. No easing off. No coasting. And then, in a moment that initially felt routine, Taylor crossed a threshold that permanently altered where he now stands in Colts history.

With his 18th rushing touchdown of the season — and the 76th touchdown of his Colts career — Taylor moved past Edgerrin James to claim the fourth-most total touchdowns in franchise history. More significantly, he became the leading rushing touchdown scorer ever for the Colts, surpassing the 64 rushing scores that James had held for years.

That number is more than a statistic.
It is a dividing line.

Edgerrin James is not simply a former great in Indianapolis. He is a defining figure — the foundation of an era when the Colts became a perennial contender and forged their offensive identity. Passing him does not elevate Taylor above James, but it places Taylor in the same historical conversation, a space reserved only for players whose impact transcends seasons.

What makes the achievement even more striking is the context in which it arrived. Taylor finished Week 17 with 1,559 rushing yards, second in the NFL, while leading the league in rushing touchdowns. He recorded five games with three or more touchdowns, maintaining elite production even as the roster around him shifted and the postseason slipped out of reach.

After each milestone, Taylor’s message remained consistent. This was not about individual glory. He credited the offensive line, the tight ends, the teammates creating lanes that don’t show up in box scores. It was a familiar refrain in Indianapolis — one echoed by the legends who came before him.

The Colts may have stumbled down the stretch, but Taylor never drifted from the standard. Head coach Shane Steichen called it a commitment to playing all 17 games the right way. For Taylor, it was something deeper — an understanding that legacies are built when circumstances are least forgiving.

No one is rushing to canonize Jonathan Taylor. History takes time, and greatness demands longevity. But one fact is now undeniable: he has crossed a threshold that only Colts legends ever reach.

From here on, every carry is no longer just another rushing attempt.
It is another step toward a place reserved for the franchise’s immortals — the Colts’ hall of legends, where Jonathan Taylor has already placed one foot firmly inside.