Despite not rushing for a touchdown in three of his first four games this season, Jonathan Taylor has gotten off to a near-historic start over the first eight games of the year. Amid a Coach of the Year performance from Shane Steichen and a Cinderella year for quarterback Daniel Jones, Taylor has been the brightest star during a resurgent year in Indianapolis.
In Sunday's win over the listless Titans, Taylor caught a touchdown and rushed for 153 yards and two more scores on 12 rushes, averaging an astounding 12.8 yards per carry in a dominant 38-14 win which moved the Colts to 7-1 on the season.
Across the first eight games of the season, Taylor has rushed for 850 yards for 12 touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 206 yards for two touchdowns. He has recorded three touchdowns in four different games this season, something just four other backs have done this century through an season. Taylor isn't just relying on the Colts' strong offensive line either; according to Next Gen Stats, he has rushed for 366 rushing yards off missed tackles, which is 100 yards more than any other player in the league.
As the 2025 season nears the midway point, here's a look at how Taylor's start stacks up to the best in NFL history.
Most scrimmage touchdowns through first eight games of a season (Since 1970)
Player
Touchdowns
Year
Team
Todd Gurley
15
2018
Rams
Priest Holmes
15
2004
Chiefs
Priest Holmes
15
2002
Chiefs
Jonathan Taylor
14
2025
Colts
LaDainian Tomlinson
14
2006
Chargers
Shaun Alexander
14
2005
Seahawks
Marshall Faulk
14
2000
Rams
Terrell Davis
14
1998
Broncos
Emmitt Smith
14
1995
Cowboys
Jerry Rice
14
1987
49ers
Eric Dickerson
14
1983
Rams
Taylor has become the 10th player since 1970 to record at least 14 touchdowns from scrimmage through the first eight weeks of the season. Only Todd Gurley and Priest Holmes have put up more over the first eight weeks of a season, with Holmes remarkably accomplishing the feat twice in three years over his career. The year in between, 2003, Holmes scored 27 rushing touchdowns, second-most ever in a single season.
Taylor's 12 rushing touchdowns through the first eight games ranks tied for seventh in NFL history behind Holmes, Shaun Alexander, Terrell Davis Emmitt Smith and Terry Allen, who each recorded 13-14 rushing touchdowns over their first eight games. Holmes accomplished this twice.
This is an impressive list for Taylor to join. Six of the other nine players to achieve this feat went on to make the Hall of Fame, and every one of them became a first-team All-Pro that season. LaDainian Tomlinson, Alexander, Marshall Faulk and Davis all went on to win NFL MVP that season, and Tomlinson, Holmes, Davis, Jerry Rice and Faulk were each named Offensive Player of the Year in the same season. Eric Dickerson would take home Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Can Jonathan Taylor break the single-season rushing records?
Not only is Taylor off to a great start, he has a real chance to break single-season touchdown records if he continues at his current pace. Tomlinson currently holds both the single-season rushing touchdown and scrimmage touchdown records, amassing 31 total touchdowns and 28 rushing touchdowns during his historic 2006 season.
Through eight games, Taylor has the same number of rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns as Tomlinson did in that 2006 campaign. Taylor would need 17 rushing touchdowns and 18 total touchdowns to break those records. Reaching either of those numbers would not be easy, but Taylor does have the advantage of playing an extra game than Tomlinson since the NFL extended the regular season to 17 games in 2021.
Outside of touchdowns, Taylor's 850 rushing yards over the first eight games ranks 56th. While he is on pace to rush for over 1,800 yards this season, this would not break any records, as nine running backs have previously eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards in a season.
