The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a sensational Week 1 33-8 demolition of a win over the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Indianapolis was incredible on both sides of the ball against the visiting Miami side, but the Colts' momentum is somewhat undercut by an injury update concerning the status of veteran defensive back Charvarius Ward.
The 29-year-old cornerback reportedly showed signs of concussion following the triumph over Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, leading to the Colts' decision to put him in the concussion protocol.
“Colt CB Charvarius Ward came in this morning with concussion symptoms and is now in the concussion protocol, per HC Shane Steichen,” James Boyd of The Athletic shared in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.
Ward played in every Colts defensive snap in the Dolphins game, helping Indianapolis make life hard for Miami's Tagovailoa-led attack. He finished the contest tied with safety Nick Cross and linebacker Joe Bachie for the lead with six total tackles (four solo), as the Colts limited Miami to just 211 total yards and only 12 total first downs. Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for just 70 receiving yards on eight receptions and 11 targets.
Return dates for players dealing with a concussion can be tough to determine, given the tricky nature of the injury. The hope for the Colts is that Ward will be able to recover in time for their Week 2 assignment against the Denver Broncos at home this coming Sunday.
The one-time Pro Bowler brings experience and added confidence in the Colts' secondary that also features Cross, Xavien Howard, Kenny Moore II and Cam Bynum, who is also another newcomer to Indianapolis' defense. Ward is in his first season with the Colts after signing a three-year contract worth $54 million with Indianapolis in March.
Before signing with the Colts, Ward played four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and won a Super Bowl with them in the 2019 campaign. He later suited up for the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons. So far in his career in the NFL, Ward, who went undrafted in 2018, has a total of 10 interceptions, 441 combined tackles, a sack and 70 passes defended through 103 games (90 starts).
