The Indianapolis Colts absorbed big blows on Sunday. Apart from suffering a 20-16 home loss at the hands of the Houston Texans, they also saw star cornerback Sauce Gardner go down with a lower-body injury. Gardner reportedly sustained a calf injury during the first period and exited the contest. He later returned to the sideline, but not in uniform.
The fear is that Gardner would miss more than just a game with his injury, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
“Sources: #Colts All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner suffered what’s described as a mild calf strain, which will likely sideline him for a couple of weeks. He is getting a second opinion, but a positive update, all things considered, given what it could’ve been. Indy has road games against the Jaguars and Seahawks coming up,” Schultz shared on social media via X, formerly Twitter.
And as noted by Schultz, this is much better news on Gardner's injury, as it gives more optimism about his chances of returning to action in 2025. There were some initial concerns that he ruptured his Achilles tendon, but that apparently is not the case.
Still, this is not the kind of situation that helps Indianapolis' cause, especially with the Colts losing some steam of late. They have gone 1-3 in their last four outings, including back-to-back losses to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12 on the road and to the Texans in Week 13. With the Jacksonville Jaguars finding their rhythm, the Colts now share the best record in the AFC South division with Trevor Lawrence and company.
But the Colts could get a solo lead of the top spot as soon as Week 14, when they face off with the Jaguars in a crucial showdown that could end up determining the AFC South champion down the road.
