Jonathan Taylor is having an amazing season for the Indianapolis Colts. Could the star running back win the NFL MVP Award?
At 5-1, the Colts have surprised the sports world this year. They just might be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They own the best record in the AFC and are off to their best start since 2009. Yeah, that was a very long time ago.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, who’s in his first year with the Colts, is the main reason behind the team’s hot start. But without a doubt, Jonathan Taylor has been instrumental as well. The former Wisconsin Badger is leading the NFL in both rushing yards (603) and rushing touchdowns (seven).
However, a non-quarterback hasn’t won an MVP award in 13 years. Can Jonathan Taylor get the job done?
Indianapolis Colts Running Back Jonathan Taylor Could End 13-Year Streak and Win NFL MVP
Adrian Peterson’s 2012 Season
Again, it has been a while since a non-quarterback has won an MVP award. Running back Adrian Peterson was the last player to accomplish the feat (2012). That year, he had a monster season for the Minnesota Vikings, rushing for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Peterson became just the seventh player in history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. He also averaged 6.0 yards per carry and fell just nine yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984. In addition, Peterson tied Hall of Famer Earl Campbell for the most 150-yard games in a season with seven.
More importantly, Peterson led the Vikings to a 10-6 record and a trip to the playoffs. It was a huge turnaround from a 3-13 finish the previous year.
2012 was an impressive season for Peterson, especially seeing that he had suffered a torn ACL and MCL the previous year. He bounced back in a major way, winning MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and the Bert Bell Award.
Will Taylor Do It?
Jonathan Taylor’s season isn’t shocking at all. Back in 2021, he led the league in both rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18). As a result, he was named a First-Team All-Pro and finished as the runner-up for Offensive Player of the Year. He lost to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Taylor is one of the league’s best running backs when healthy. The two-time Pro Bowler battled injuries the past three seasons. But if he can stay healthy, he can certainly have an MVP-caliber season this year.
Even if he rushes for over 2,000 yards, though, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll win MVP. Just look at Saquon Barkley last season. The Philadelphia Eagles running back recorded 2,005 yards, but didn’t win MVP.
Instead, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen won the award. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson finished second in MVP voting while Barkley was third. Needless to say, the NFL MVP award is basically a quarterback-only honor.
It’ll be interesting to see how Jonathan Taylor and the Colts finish the 2025 season. Surely, most Indy fans don’t care, though, if Taylor wins MVP or not. They just want to see they’re team have a great year and make noise in the playoffs.
Main Photo: [Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar] – Imagn Images
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