The schedule for running back Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts is coming shape after he underwent thumb surgery this week.
After star running back Jonathan Taylor missed the first four weeks of the season due to an ankle injury, the Indianapolis Colts had to get accustomed to being without him. This week, he will have surgery to address a thumb problem, so they will have to do so again.
Taylor played with a thumb injury he sustained last week during the Colts’ 27-20 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But in the words of Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, “surgery was the only answer and not a choice.”
“On Wednesday, hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles operated on Taylor, repairing the torn UCL in his thumb,” Rapoport said.
Taylor will now miss a projected three to five weeks.
“The ligament tore off the base of the thumb and flipped on top of the tendon, sources say,” Rapoport explained as to why surgery was a necessity. “Once that happens, the only way to avoid a loose tendon in the future is to have surgery to tuck the ligament back under the tendon so it can function. Immediate surgery was a necessity.”
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“Indy left the door open for him (Taylor) to return before four weeks by not placing him on injured reserve,” Rapoport said. “And Taylor was already back with the team the day after surgery
Despite not going on IR, Taylor now is in jeopardy of being out for the remainder of the regular season, as contests against the Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Houston Texans remain over the final six weeks of the season, which includes this Sunday.
In seven games this season, Taylor has carried the ball 100 times for 414 yards (4.1 avg.) and 4 touchdowns to go with 16 receptions for 137 yards (8.6 avg.) and 1 touchdown.
Taylor will be replaced by Zack Moss, who was among the NFL’s top five leading rushers in yardage through the first 10 weeks of the season.