The Colts opened their Week 6 work week with a mixed bag on the injury front, and the biggest concerns landed on the offensive line and defense. Right tackle Jalen Travis, linebacker Jaylon Carlies and wideout/special teamer Ashton Dulin all sat out Wednesday’s practice, while right guard Matt Goncalves and edge defender Jaylahn Tuimoloau were limited as they went through concussion evaluations.
Carlies’ situation looms especially large because he already missed last week after sitting out practice, and Indianapolis had to shuffle the WILL linebacker spot on the fly. Bryce Boettcher got the first crack at the job in the starting lineup before Austin Ajiake and CJ Allen also saw time there.
With Carlies still not on the field Wednesday, another absence Sunday would not be a surprise. The Colts did add some depth this week by signing free agent Germaine Pratt to the practice squad; Pratt started at WILL for the team last season.
Dulin’s absence has also already changed the way the Colts are lining up. Laquon Treadwell has picked up a noticeable bump in snaps at receiver, while Anthony Gould has helped handle kickoff returns with Seth McGowan.
Travis was hurt late in last week’s game but returned, so the Colts may simply be taking the cautious route. If he can’t go against Tennessee, Indianapolis has a few paths forward: Luke Tenuta could slide in at right tackle, or the Colts could move Goncalves outside and let Jalen Farmer take over at right guard. That plan depends on Goncalves’ status, which remains uncertain after Wednesday’s limited work.
Tuimoloau’s availability is also worth watching. If he ends up in concussion protocol and misses Sunday, Caden Curry and George Gumbs Jr. would be in line for more snaps, with newly signed Carl Lawson possibly getting the call for the game as well.
There were a few brighter notes on the report. Daniel Jones, who is new to the injury list, was a full participant despite the ankle designation.
TE Will Mallory, still on injured reserve, continued practicing as a full participant after returning last week. WR Darius Slayton was also a full participant after missing last Friday’s practice with a knee issue; he had been a healthy scratch in the two games before that.
The Titans had their own injury concerns to sort through. Their most notable Wednesday developments involved starting free safety Winston, who did not practice, while defensive backs Harris and Hooker were both limited.
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For the Colts, the challenge now is finding ways to free Downs without asking him to win every contested snap by himself. Indianapolis has been working through ways to create more room for him and keep the offense from getting predictable when the money downs arrive. Until that happens, opponents have a clear blueprint for squeezing one of the Colts most trusted targets and making the passing game work harder than it should. [Read more 🡒]
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Colts Face A Risky QB Decision As Daniel Jones Loses Support
Daniel Jones second season in Indianapolis has already turned into a referendum on the Colts quarterback plan, and the conversation around it keeps circling back to the same issue: the offense around him is not the one the team hoped it would have. The wide receiver room has been stripped down by injuries and a trade, leaving Jones working with a less imposing supporting cast than the Colts envisioned when they made him their starter.
Still, the instinct to pivot to Anthony Richardson is not as simple as it sounds. ESPNs Ben Solak floated the idea of benching Jones for Richardson, but the case for doing so runs into the same problem the Colts have been dealing with all along - swapping quarterbacks does not automatically fix an offense that is already short on answers. [Read more 🡒]