Sauce Gardner

Gardner missed last week’s game after suffering a calf strain in Week 6 against the Titans, but will return after getting in a limited session on Wednesday and a full practice on Thursday. We’re assuming that means he’s in line for another full practice today.

Gardner was never expected to play this week after it was announced on Monday that he would be week-to-week with his calf injury. His absence could be a good sign for Vikings pass-catchers this week in what should be a plus matchup against a Colts defense that ranks 14th in fantasy points allowed to receivers this season. In addition to Gardner, the Colts also ruled out WR Anthony Gould (concussion).

Gardner is considered week-to-week because of the calf strain he suffered in Week 6. He’s not expected to miss an “extended period”, but it’s safe to assume Gardner is out for Week 7. Maybe that will help kickstart the Vikings’ sluggish passing attack, though we doubt it.

According to Rapoport, an MRI revealed a mild calf strain for Gardner, who is expected to be week-to-week with the injury. While he is expected to miss some time, Rapoport also notes that Gardner is not expected to miss “an extended period,” which suggests he won’t be placed on injured reserve. Gardner sounds like a virtual lock to miss Week 7’s game against the Vikings, so we’ll see if a week away gives him enough time to be ready for Week 8’s game against the Jaguars. Gardner has totaled 17 tackles and four pass breakups for the Colts this season while earning a PFF coverage grade of 62.6.

Gardner injured his left calf today, which is concerning because he injured the same calf twice last year. The first injury occurred in Week 13. He resumed playing in Week 17, lasting 35 snaps before re-injuring it. Gardner was labeled questionable to return following today’s injury, but he never made it back onto the field. He will likely undergo imaging on Monday. Stay tuned.

Gardner was only able to start four games for the Colts after coming over at the trade deadline before a long-term calf injury derailed his season. He should be fine for training camp and, assuming Lou Anarumo retains his defensive coordinator job, we can look forward to a healthy Gardner shadowing in man in 2026.

It’s not all that surprising after Gardner barely practiced all week before being made active. The Colts have no incentive to push him. It wouldn’t be surprising if this were the last game he played in this year. Gardner had three tackles and a pass defensed before leaving in the second half.

He’ll give it a go despite Indianapolis being eliminated from playoff contention last night. Also playing off questionable tags are WR Ashton Dulin and OT Bernhard Raimann. Inactive for the Colts are C Tanor Bortolini (concussion), RB Tyler Goodson (ankle), S George Odum, DE JT Tuimoloau (oblique), G Dalton Tucker (shoulder) and S Reuben Lowery.

Gardner has not played since injuring his calf in Week 13’s loss to the Texans. He had not practiced at all until Friday’s session. This strikes us as a bit of a desperate play, which makes sense as the Colts are a loss away from elimination. If Gardner can play up to his talent for the whole game, he’ll likely lower Brian Thomas’ upside in Week 17.

Gardner’s absence is likely the most detrimental after the Colts shifted away from a Cover-3-heavy structure in favor of increased rates of man coverage after acquiring the standout cornerback at the trade deadline. Expect the team to turn back to a Cover-3 base in his stead in what amounts to a must-win game for the Colts.

Colts coach Shane Steichen answered in the affirmative when asked Saturday if Gardner would play again this season. That bodes well for the 25-year-old cornerback, who so far has avoided injured reserve despite a calf injury. Gardner will be out for Week 16’s matchup with the 49ers, but the Colts clearly believe he’ll return for at least one of the last two games of the regular season.

Gardner, Rapoport believes, could return to the Colts lineup within the next four weeks. That opens up the possibility that Gardner could be at full health — or something close to it — if the Colts right the ship and make it to the postseason. The Colts are expected to be careful with Gardner’s calf injury in hopes of not complicating the injury in a way that would jeopardize the corner’s entire season.

It’s the best Gardner and the Colts could have hoped for after the initial injury appeared to be much worse on the field. Gardner will miss a few weeks with what is officially being diagnosed as a strained calf, but according to Rapoport, the Colts hope to have him back before the end of the regular season. Barring an unexpected turn of events, Gardner should avoid a stint on injured reserve. Mekhi Blackmon is listed behind him on the depth chart and should step in to replace Gardner during his absence.

Gardner is undergoing additional tests to determine the exact severity of the injury, but as Fowler notes, Gardner seems to have avoided a major injury. We’ll likely get a clearer timeline on Gardner’s impending absence in the next 24 hours or so, but it sounds like he’ll be a lock to miss Week 14’s game against the Jaguars, and perhaps Week 15’s game against the Seahawks. In three games with the Colts this season, Gardner has totaled 13 tackles and two pass breakups while holding opposing receivers to 38 yards on 10 targets.

According to Schultz, Gardner is seeking a second opinion on the matter, but if all comes back as expected, the star corner is likely to miss only a few weeks. It’s about as good of news as Gardner and the Colts could have hoped for after Gardner was unable to put any weight on his leg when being helped to the sideline after going down. We’ll hopefully have an update on Gardner’s status and how much time he could miss early in the week.

Gardner could not put any weight on his left leg. He limped to the medical tent, then was helped off the field between a pair of trainers. It didn’t look good for the Colts main trade deadline acquisition, but a calf is better than it looked like it could have been.

Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters earlier in the week that the plan was for Gardner to suit up this week if he cleared concussion protocol in time. He should be in the starting lineup on Sunday. Gardner will be tasked with covering Drake London in his Colts debut.

Earlier today, Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters that Gardner would practice despite remaining in the concussion protocol. Clarification on his expected participation level could have saved everyone time, but alas, the competitive advantage gained by obfuscation reigns supreme. Gardner is now on track to play in Week 10 against the Falcons, barring a setback.

Gardner, according to head coach Shane Steichen, will practice Wednesday despite being in the protocol. He hasn’t played since Week 7 and seems iffy to suit up in Week 10 against the Falcons after being traded to the Colts on Tuesday. Steichen said Gardner would likely suit up against Atlanta if he clears concussion protocol. While Gardner’s early-career play has fallen off a bit over the past couple years, he’ll be a marked upgrade for an injury-riddled Colts secondary.

Chris Ballard has paid the first-round pick freight for a defender before, when he added DeForest Buckner to the Colts ahead of the 2020 season. It’s a stunning repudiation of the Jets’ plan to have Gardner in their core, but then again they probably never pictured they would be able to get two first-round picks for him before signing him to a long-term extension. Indianapolis’ cornerback room has been in dire need of an upgrade like this on paper for a long time. The problem is that it’s mostly on paper at this point, as Gardner has posted back-to-back PFF coverage grades of 68.1 in 2025 and 73.1 in 2024, a far cry from his 2022 and 2023 seasons. He has not taken to Aaron Glenn’s aggressive system quite as well as expected, and perhaps not as well as the Jets expected either. So the Jets will take the rebuilding road here. For the Colts, even if Gardner isn’t who he was in his first two seasons, he’s a massive upgrade as they attempt to hold on to the AFC South and prime playoff seeding. Their starting cornerbacks last week were Jaylon Jones and Mekhi Blackmon, and once Charvarius Ward is healthy they could throw out Ward, Gardner, and Kenny Moore come playoff time.