The Indianapolis Colts answered one of the questions that has been on the minds of many fans throughout the offseason.
Ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline, the Colts released their presumed backup ball carrier Khalil Herbert, signaling that rookie DJ Giddens will take over that role behind Jonathan Taylor for 2025.
While Herbert was added to the practice squad just 24 hours later, the Colts now have a clear-cut backup for their All-Pro RB.
At KSU, he emerged as a highly productive ball carrier—posting over 2,500 rushing yards in two seasons. In 2024, he averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry, finishing sixth nationally in yards after contact and ranking in the top 20 in missed tackles forced.
More Than Just Jonathan Taylor Insurance
Despite the injury uncertainty of Tyler Goodson and Salvon Ahmed (IR), the Colts have been fond of Giddens’ rushing prowess since he showed up to the facility in May.
A fifth-round pick out of Kansas State, Giddens made his case in training camp.
“DJ has done a really nice job,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “He’s a young guy who’s been put in some different roles maybe than he was in college. Just in the NFL, you’re running the ball, but maybe you’re running it from different sides and behind the quarterback. You’re running these routes that maybe you never ran in college. You’re working different blitz pickup schemes.
“Oftentimes, a young running back has a lot on his plate – learning that it is a little bit different than college. DJ has done a really, really nice job of picking up the offense, picking up his role and then going out and executing it.”
The Colts finished 1-2 in their preseason appearances, but Giddens was a bright spot with limited opportunities. The 22-year-old RB recorded 67 yards on 18 attempts, averaging 3.7 yards per carry.
Colts Could Split Offensive Reps Between Taylor and Giddens
There’s no good reason to suggest that Taylor is on any sort of decline, or needs someone to take the offensive workload off his shoulders. He’s still the cornerstone of Indianapolis backfield at 26 years old, coming off his third 1,000-yard campaign, and added 12 total touchdowns.
Since 2020, Taylor ranks second only to Derrick Henry in 100-yard rushing games, and has 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in his first five seasons.
Taylor is still the engine that moves the Colts offense. That said, Giddens gives them another weapon — one who has much of the same attributes. The bell-cow potential is there for the future. For now, though, he’s a versatile complement to Taylor that Indianapolis has been lacking.
Giddens is also playing on a team-friendly contract that could bode very well for the Colts down the road. He signed a four-year, $4.624 million contract in May. The deal includes a $424,000 signing bonus, which is prorated into the team’s annual salary cap over the course of the agreement, per Over The Cap.
The Colts enter Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins with not one, but two powerful playmakers out of the backfield to help Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones manage the game.
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