Deon Jackson News

Jackson will return to the Colts on the league minimum salary in 2023. The 23-year-old running back rushed 68 times for 236 yards and one touchdown while catching 30 of 34 targets for 209 yards and one touchdown in 2022. Jackson will likely be limited to a depth role in 2023 unless injuries deplete the Colts' backfield depth again.

Jackson played just 14 snaps on offense and fell to third in carries after starter Zack Moss and Jordan Wilkins. Three weeks ago Jackson looked set to be the starter if Jonathan Taylor were to get hurt. However, he's fallen out of favor after Taylor's season-ending ankle injury and may have fallen to third string. It will be hard to count on many touches for Jackson even in a meaningless season finale against Houston.

With Jonathan Taylor (ankle) on IR, Jackson was expected to see an increased workload. However, his first touch went for a loss of nine yards in the first quarter, and he didn't touch the ball again until the Colts' final offensive possession. He tied Jordan Wilkins with just eight offensive snaps, as Zach Moss (36) dominated the backfield work. The entire offense struggled Monday night, but it was disappointing to see Jackson completely uninvolved. Even if he sees more snaps in Week 17, Jackson figures to be a risky play against the Giants' stout run defense.

After Jonathan Taylor (ankle) exited early in last Saturday's 39-36 overtime loss to the Vikings with what proved to be a season-ending injury, Jackson ranked a distant second to Moss in terms of snap share. Jackson finished the day with 25 snaps (31.6 percent) and logged 13 carries for 55 yards to go with a one-yard touchdown reception, while Moss took 53 snaps (67.1 percent) and carried 24 times for 81 yards while going without a target. Saturday said that the Colts' starting running back for Week 16 will be a game-time decision, and it's possible the coach ends up favoring the hotter hand of the two backs as Monday's contest unfolds. The two backs' usage from last week would seem to imply that Moss is the preferred candidate for early down work, though the superior efficiency Jackson demonstrated could prompt Saturday to give him more snaps and carries than he received against the Vikings. The Colts also have Jordan Wilkins as a third option out of the backfield to potentially lean on.

With Taylor playing just two snaps Saturday before exiting the contest with what will likely end up being a season-ending injury, the Colts were able to find plenty of work for both Jackson and Moss while they held a double-digit lead for more than three-quarters of the game before the Vikings completed an improbable comeback. Moss (24 carries for 81 yards) ended up leading the way for the Indianapolis backfield, but Jackson (13 carries for 55 yards, one-yard touchdown reception) was more efficient with his opportunities. The Colts aren't likely to have the luxury of handing 37 carries to the two backs in each of their final three games, so both Moss and Jackson could see their respective touch counts take a hit beginning with next Monday's game against the Chargers in Week 16. Even so, the absence of Taylor still puts both backs on the fantasy radar moving forward, despite the uncertainty of how the workload may be divided. Jackson, who had a 10-reception game back in Week 6 against the Jaguars when Taylor was sidelined, likely offers more upside in the pass-catching department of the two backs, though Moss isn't a total zero in that area.

Jackson watched Zack Moss take over for the remainder of the opening drive after Jonathan Taylor (ankle) got injured on his first touch. After Moss was stuffed by the goal line, Jackson checked in to start the team's next possession and wound up capping it with a one-yard touchdown catch. Jackson finished the game with 13 carries to Moss's 24, and they would likely remain in a timeshare against the Chargers in Week 16 if Taylor fails to recover from his injury by then.