Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor continued his elite production during Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. He finished with 286 yards from scrimmage, pushing his rushing yardage total to 1,139 for the season, and scored three touchdowns in a game for the fourth time this NFL season.
But despite the outstanding start to his 2025 campaign, there is little hope for Taylor when it comes to his chances of winning the MVP award.
3 Reasons Why Jonathan Taylor Won’t Win NFL MVP
Here are three reasons why Taylor will come up short in taking home the hardware:
1. The MVP Award Is A Quarterback Award
To make it simple, running backs just don’t win MVP awards. In fact, no one really does, except for quarterbacks. Of the last 12 players who took home the honors, every single one of them was a QB.
The award tends to follow a clear narrative: a quarterback elevating a team, overcoming adversity, or powering an elite offense. While Taylor is the engine of the Colts’ ground game and the Colts are winning, his production is predicted to be overlooked when it comes to MVP voters. As a result, his overall impact may simply be overshadowed by the quarterbacks like Drake Maye and Patrick Mahomes.
2. If Barkley Didn’t Win It, No Running Back Will
Saquon Barkley had one of the best running back seasons that we’ve ever seen in 2024. The Philadelphia Eagles star racked up over 2,000 rushing yards, becoming just the 9th player in NFL history to do so, and scored 15 touchdowns in a season in which his team won the Super Bowl. How many first place votes did Barkley receive? Not a single one. All 49 of them went to Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, with Barkley ultimately finishing third overall in the balloting.
Barkley’s surge underscores exactly how high the bar is for a running back to break through in the MVP discussion. Even historic production might still not be enough when the positional bias, narrative dynamics and voter expectations are stacked against you.
3. Tough Rush Defenses Loom On Colts Schedule
The Colts are entering their bye week on a high note, and won’t play again until the Sunday before Thanksgiving. But when they do return to action, they’ll be playing against some of the toughest rushing defenses that the NFL has to offer for the rest of the season. Four of the final seven games of Indy’s schedule will be played against the Texans, Jaguars, and Seahawks, all of whom rank in the top-five when it comes to total rushing yards allowed.
Taylor may not be able to be contained completely, but there is a good chance that his numbers slip in the second half of the season.
