The Colts got a scare on Sunday when star cornerback Sauce Gardner went down early in their loss to the Texans, and for a moment, it looked like it could’ve been season-ending. While covering Houston tight end Cade Stover on an in-breaking route in the first quarter, Gardner came up limping, clearly favoring his left leg. He didn’t return to the game, and the initial fear was a dreaded Achilles injury-something no team wants to hear, especially with December football heating up.
Gardner was helped off the field and taken straight to the medical tent, and the concern was immediate. After the game, he described the pain in vivid terms: “Felt like I got shot in the calf.
#Colts star CB Sauce Gardner, who suffered a calf strain in Sunday’s loss, is considered week-to-week with the hope he’s back during the regular season, sources tell me and @TomPelissero after the MRI.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 1, 2025
Not long-term. But he’ll miss some time. pic.twitter.com/8BSLZSQS8S
But it was higher [than the Achilles],” he told reporters. That small detail turned out to be a huge one.
By Monday morning, the Colts had some much-needed good news. Gardner’s Achilles is intact, and further testing revealed a calf strain-not a tear, not a rupture, but a strain.
That’s still a tough injury, but it’s not the long-term nightmare it could’ve been. According to multiple reports, including one from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gardner is considered “week-to-week” after undergoing an MRI.
Now, let’s not sugarcoat it: calf strains are no joke. They can linger, and for a player who relies on explosive movement and quick-twitch reactions like Gardner does, the Colts will be cautious.
They traded two first-round picks to bring him in at the deadline, and while the investment was steep, his impact has been immediate. Losing him for any stretch of time hurts-especially as Indianapolis tries to steady the ship down the stretch.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. After a red-hot 7-1 start to the season, the Colts have dropped three of their last four and now sit at 8-4.
That puts them second in the AFC South, trailing the Jaguars-who just so happen to be their next opponent. Sunday’s matchup in Jacksonville is shaping up to be a pivotal one, and the Colts could be heading into it without their top corner.
Gardner’s absence will test the depth of this Colts defense, which has already been stretched thin in recent weeks. His ability to lock down opposing receivers and disrupt timing in the passing game has been a key part of what made this unit so effective early in the year. Without him, the secondary will need to tighten up quickly, especially against a Jaguars offense that’s hitting its stride.
The silver lining? This isn’t the worst-case scenario.
Gardner’s Achilles is fine, and while he’s week-to-week, there’s optimism that he’ll return before the postseason push really ramps up. But for now, the Colts are in survival mode.
With the division lead slipping and a critical game on the horizon, they’ll need to find a way to hold the line-until Sauce is back in the mix.