As good as Jonathan Taylor has been through the years, he's taken his game to a whole new level this year

He leads the league in rushing yards. He leads the league in touchdowns. And he's become a three-down back who can do a little bit of everything.

Jonathan Taylor has already set an enormously high standard for himself. He is one of the best running backs, if not THE best running back, in today’s NFL. He is having the same kind of dominant season that Saquon Barkley enjoyed last year with the Eagles, and currently leads the league with 603 rush yards on 115 carries, seven touchdowns, three runs of 30+ yards and two of 40-or-more.

But watch him now, watch him closely, and the standard he’s setting is even higher than before. Once a two-down back who routinely came out of the game in third-down passing situations (remember when he wasn’t on the field for that failed fourth-down play against Houston two years ago?), Taylor is now a complete, three-down back who does everything -- running, pass catching and pass blocking -- at an elite level.

Taylor, who is already on the way to his best rushing season ever -- he had 1,811 yards in 2021 -- has also been effective out of the backfield, where he has 20 catches already, halfway to his single-season career-high of 40 receptions.

Did I mention the pass blocking? If we’re being honest, Taylor wasn’t the most enthusiastic or willing blocker in blitz pickups in the past. This year, it’s quite different.

“I think it’s a credit to him and it’s a credit to (running backs coach) DeAndre Smith,” said head coach Shane Steichen. “Working on it daily. Individual drills, working on blocking drills, all those little things add up. It’s consistency and doing it over time and making sure you’re on the same page with the O-line and Daniel (Jones) and the protection calls and knowing exactly who you’re blocking and how you’re blocking them. He’s done a hell of a job with it.”

The primary job, though, remains carrying the football, and in that area, Taylor has been the best in the league this season. Ask Taylor, ask any of his offensive linemen, he’s more patient this year while being just as explosive. No player has reached a higher speed than Taylor, who went 22.43 miles per hour on a 43-yard reception.

“I mean, he’s always been a really special player,” right tackle Braden Smith said. “He’s always had that ability. He’s just so slippery and strong, and he’s getting a heavier workload. I think it’s different when you know there’s a balance to the offense. You know, they’re not stacking the box all the time (out of concern for the passing game), so it opens things up in the running game. I mean, he’s taking advantage of all his opportunities and the results speak for themselves.”

Hard to believe, just a few years ago -- 2023 to be precise -- the Colts were giving Taylor’s agent the freedom to pursue a trade as Taylor’s hold-in continued through preseason. But after playing hardball all summer, the Colts relented and signed him to a three-year, $42 million contract. Mistake averted.

He’s always been among the best running backs in the league, but this season, he’s taken his game to a new level. It’s little wonder the Colts lead the NFL in rushing and passing yards. It’s a perfect symbiosis. The threat of the pass lightens the box on defense, creating more room for Taylor to run. The running game keys the passing game, keeping defenders honest, forcing them to respect the run, especially on play-action. And the offensive line, with two new starters, has played lights out in the run and pass game.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s incredible,” said Jones, who played with Barkley in New York. “It’s hard to fully say how good he’s been. I mean, he’s been incredible in the run game -- explosive runs. He’s found the dirty runs and made 2- or 3-yard runs into 6- or 7-yard runs. And then he’s been big in the pass game too with running routes out of the backfield, check-downs, making a guy miss and keeping us on schedule. He’s been really, really good.”

For years, the value of running backs was diminished, the idea being that an elite runner doesn’t necessarily impact winning. The Colts showed that in 2021 when Taylor ran for 1,811 yards and they failed to make the playoffs, losing their last two games to Las Vegas and Jacksonville. But last year, Barkley was the centerpiece for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Colts teammates have seen Taylor play at an exceedingly high level for years. But this year, he’s taken a massive step forward.

“I told (Taylor) after the (Cardinals) game, `Listen, you’re the best I’ve ever seen,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “Just the consistency...He’s just on a whole ‘nother level. He’s just adding to his game. From pass protection to the pass catching, the playmaking in the passing game, and then you couple that with his ability in the run game. I mean, there’s maybe one other guy (Barkley, I assume) in the league that’s playing even close to that level but I mean, JT, he’s in a league of his own for sure.”

Said Taylor: “To be great, you’ve got to elevate your game every season.”

You didn’t think Taylor could get any better.

You would be wrong.