Running back Jonathan Taylor said he is "continuing to push forward" in his rehab from an ankle injury sustained in the Colts' Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but did not practice on Thursday ahead of the Colts' Week 7 game against the Miami Dolphins.
"The pain level has definitely gone down," Taylor said Thursday. "That's really the first thing because really you can't even do a lot of the movements if the pain is really too high. And a lot of things you can definitely work through but there's definitely a point where some things are just like, you can't even do it."
Taylor said he has been doing everything he can to get back on the field and has been "progressing every single day."
"Just pushing myself, just trying to find a way to get the pain out," Taylor said. "Anything you can do to get back on the field with your guys you've been working, scratching and clawing with all offseason, all training camp and all season, so just doing everything in my power to get back on that field."
Backup running backs Tyler Goodson and Trey Sermon have combined to fill the position since Taylor's injury. In the Colts' Week 6 win over the Tennessee Titans, Goodson had a team-high eight carries for 51 yards and had four receptions for 14 yards. Sermon, in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, led the team with 10 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown, and had six receptions for 25 yards.
Sermon did not practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury but was a limited participate in practice on Thursday.
"He gives us the big play, home run in the run game with the explosiveness," head coach Shane Steichen said about Taylor on Monday. "We talked about it before – just the vision that he has, setting up blocks and hitting them. But Goodie and Trey have stepped up and done well too."
"When I'm able to do the movements, that's just the biggest thing," Taylor said. "If you just can't do it, then you're really hindering your team rather than just going out there and trying to provide something, it's like if you just literally can't even do the movement, then you're better off not even being out there. "
Thursday's full practice report:
