The Indianapolis Colts need any good news they can get this week. There's been quite a shakeup on the defense after the team traded star guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks, then they traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers. Nelson and Buckner are two strong veteran players who also were captains on the team.
The good news is, the Colts may be getting back their top cornerback this weekend for the matchup versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. On Thursday, Colts defender Sauce Gardner was a full participant for the first time since he sustained a left calf strain during Week 6's loss to the Tennessee Titans. He was limited on Wednesday in practice, so improving to a full participant was a good sign for Gardner's status for Week 8.
Gardner missed last weekend's game against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings because of his injury. It would be great if he could only miss one game from the injury instead of a longer period of time. He's been considered week-to-week since suffering the calf strain.
Gardner himself hasn't been worried about the injury, though, especially after a left calf strain ended his 2025 season prematurely. "I'm not really concerned," Gardner said on Oct. 21, via the Colts' website. "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." Through six games this season, Gardner's recorded 17 total tackles with 13 of those being solo tackles. He's also defended against four passes. The Colts have been making big moves ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
After being traded to Indianapolis mid-season last year from the New York Jets, there's a good chance Gardner will remain a Colt, but anything is possible.
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