Sauce Gardner knows how the word “calf” lands in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts cornerback missed Wednesday’s practice after hurting his calf in Sunday’s 26-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans, and he spent part of his media session separating it from the injury that wrecked the end of his 2025 season.
“I’m not really concerned,” Gardner said, via Colts.com. “I trust our training staff here, and like I said, it’s not as bad as last year. I’m just happy that it’s not the same spot.” He called the new injury much more minor than last year’s.
Why last year still hangs over this
Gardner’s 2025 calf injury kept him out for most of the Colts’ final six games, and Indianapolis missed the playoffs again. This one came four plays into the third quarter against Tennessee, and he didn’t return. According to PFF, Gardner played 22 snaps and wasn’t charged with a catch on his only target before leaving.
His replacement had a much rougher afternoon. Cam Taylor-Britt played 24 snaps at cornerback and allowed two catches on two targets, and PFF gave him a 31.1 coverage grade. The depth behind Gardner got thinner Wednesday, too. Charvarius Ward Sr. sat out as a rest day and slot corner Justin Walley missed practice with a knee injury, per the Colts’ injury report. The rest of the defense showed some life in a game Indianapolis still lost after blowing a 13-0 lead. Akeem Davis-Gaither graded 90.4 overall against Tennessee, according to PFF, and led the Week 6 stock report risers. Without Gardner on the outside, though, a good game from the linebackers only covers so much.
That’s a lot of uncertainty for a 2-4 team that just fired general manager Chris Ballard and now heads to Minneapolis to face the unbeaten Vikings in Week 7. A Lucas Oil Stadium crowd that booed Sunday has watched this calf story play out once before.
Gardner’s optimism matters, but Thursday and Friday’s practice reports will tell more than his tone did. If he logs even a limited session, the Colts can believe him. If he sits out all week again, Shane Steichen’s staff will be back to building a game plan around Taylor-Britt, and a season sliding in the wrong direction gets another push.
More on the Indianapolis Colts
- Daniel Jones’ $35M Dead Cap Complicates Colts’ Quarterback Reset
- Sauce Gardner Says His Calf Injury Isn’t as Bad This Time as Colts Wait on Their Top Cornerback
- Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s Next GM Hire Could Decide Whether Shane Steichen Survives in Indianapolis
- Will the Colts Trade Anthony Richardson? The Eagles’ QB Problem Could Open the Door
