The Indianapolis Colts are bringing top-level names into the 2025 season. Indy has young talent and players with bright futures, but it's the established veterans who will lead the way to what the Colts hope will be a playoff year ahead.
Two of the top stars on Shane Steichen's squad are guard Quenton Nelson and running back Jonathan Taylor. These two have put together fantastic careers and show no signs of slowing down.
In a list of the top 100 players for 2025, Pete Brisco of CBS Sports places Taylor at 50th and Nelson at 80th, showing the respect this duo commands from national coverage of the NFL.
Brisco starts with Taylor.
"In just 13 starts, Taylor finished fourth in the league in rushing with 1,431 yards. He averaged 4.7 yards per rush, his best since 2021. Injuries have kept him out of 10 games the past two seasons."
Taylor played on an elite level last year, commanding 303 carries for 1,431 rushing yards and 12 total scores. Taylor has other weapons to join him in the backfield, featuring Khalil Herbert and rookie DJ Giddens. Having additional help in the running back room will bolster the ground attack and help preserve Taylor's prime.
Taylor will continue to be a workhorse for Indianapolis after posting the second-most rushing yards of his career in 2024, leading to his second Pro Bowl nomination.
As for Nelson, he needs no introduction. Nelson is one of the best overall offensive linemen in football, and his seven Pro Bowls and three First Team All-Pros prove it.
"After a couple of down years, Nelson was back to his old ways last season for the Colts, dominating in the run game and excelling in pass protection. He is key to Jonathan Taylor and the run game in Indianapolis."
Nelson continued his dominance last year with his seventh-straight Pro Bowl and Pro Football Focus grades of 81.3 overall, 79.7 pass-blocking, and 81.7 run-blocking. All of these metrics placed Nelson in the top 10 of NFL guards with 136 eligible.
To end the four-year-long playoff snide, these two must play at this level or higher for the Colts. Indianapolis also has other venerable vets in defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, linebacker Zaire Franklin, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., and cornerback Kenny Moore II, who will also be relied upon heavily for success.
The Colts can't come up short this year, or consequences will follow for the franchise. Taylor and Nelson, among others, are integral pieces to avoid a pitfall in 2025 and keep hopes high for the upcoming regular season.
