Earlier this offseason, running back Zack Moss left the Indianapolis Colts and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Colts could sorely miss him in their backfield this upcoming season.
Indianapolis had a slew of key free agents. General manager Chris Ballard ultimately chose the “run it back” route and retained several of those players. Guys like Michael Pittman Jr., Kenny Moore II, Grover Stewart, and Julian Blackmon were all re-signed.
Yet, the team failed to keep Moss, who landed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Bengals. It’ll be interesting to see if his loss will affect the Colts’ offense.
Will the Indianapolis Colts Miss Zack Moss During the 2024 Season?
Zack Moss’ Career to Date
Zach Moss was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round (86th overall pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Utah Utes star would play three seasons in Buffalo, rushing for 917 yards and eight touchdowns.
In November 2022, Moss was traded to the Colts for fellow running back Nyheim Hines. He rushed for 365 yards and a touchdown during his first year with the team.
Last season was the best of Moss’ career. He produced a career-high 794 yards and five TDs. He also caught 27 passes for 192 yards and two scores. Against the Tennessee Titans, Moss produced a career-high 165 yards to go along with 30 receiving yards. He ran for 122 yards versus the Baltimore Ravens.
During his time with the Colts, Moss did a phenomenal job serving as the primary backup to Jonathan Taylor. He’ll be a starter in Cincinnati, replacing Joe Mixon, who was traded to the Houston Texans.
Colts’ Current RB Room
When healthy, Taylor is one of the NFL’s top running backs. The former Wisconsin Badger was amazing in 2021. That season, he led the league in rushing yards (1,811), rushing touchdowns (18), and rushing yards after contact. He was also No. 1 in scrimmage yards with 2,171 and touchdowns from scrimmage (20). In addition, Taylor was the runner-up for the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.
However, Taylor was plagued with injuries the past two seasons. As a result, he has failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark in both years.
Taylor is undoubtedly the Colts’ RB1. With Zack Moss out of the picture, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, Tyler Goodson, and Zavier Scott are currently the backups. None of the four have over 350 rushing yards on their resume. Yet, the Colts must have confidence in this group, seeing they didn’t take a running back in this year’s draft.
Perhaps Hull is the best of the crew. As a rookie last year, he suffered a season-ending meniscus injury during Week 1. But, he has the potential to be an outstanding backup due to his ability to run between the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield.
The Colts are hoping Taylor can stay healthy and return to MVP form. If he’s bitten by the injury bug, can Hull and Co. step up and hold down the fort?
If the Colts’ running back room is hit hard with injuries or the group struggles to play well, Indy fans will certainly wish Zack Moss didn’t leave town.
Main Image: Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
