There’s some mixed injury news out of Indianapolis, and the Colts likely won’t be at fully strength.
As they do each week, the Indianapolis Colts released their injury report on Wednesday ahead of their matchup with the 3-1 Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It was widely expected following Week 4 that head coach Frank Reich’s side would be dealing with injuries to several key players, and that still appears to be the case.
It pains us to report that fans in Indianapolis should be preparing for the Colts to be severely undermanned this weekend. Per Zak Keefer of The Athletic, linebacker Darius Leonard (groin) returned to practice after a DNP on Wednesday, but was limited to individual drills. Fellow LB Anthony Walker (undisclosed) and left tackle Anthony Castonzo (rib), meanwhile, were both sidelined.
Only linebacker Bobby Okereke (hand) practiced with the team, but he was sporting a club on the left hand after undergoing surgery on Monday.
At Colts practice today:
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) October 8, 2020
— Darius Leonard working on a side field with no helmet
— Bobby Okereke is back with a club on that left wrist
— Anthony Walker is not out here
— No sign of Anthony Castonzo. That’s not good.
The most notable takeaway from that list is Castonzo. If the 32-year-old stud is forced to miss Sunday’s game against Cleveland, that would spell a world of trouble for the Colts as he’s slated to be lined up against defensive end Myles Garrett, who currently leads the NFL with five sacks and three forced fumbles through four games.
It looks like 2016 third-round pick Le’Raven Clark, who’s started just 12 games in his career, will be Indy’s left tackle. If that happens, expect Reich to implement a game plan that will prevent him from being isolated against Garrett.
In terms of the linebacker position, missing Leonard by himself would serve as a crushing blow to the Colts. After all, he’s the captain and signal caller of the defense. However, the fact that Indy could be without its entire starting linebacking corps is extremely worrisome as the Browns boast the league’s most potent rushing attack.
Even without Nick Chubb, who is on the shelf indefinitely with an MCL injury, Cleveland will still look to establish the run as Kareem Hunt, a former Pro Bowler, is an exceptional backup option.
#Colts LB Darius Leonard (groin) says the goal is to play Sunday vs. the Browns, but it’s still up in the air at this point.
— Andrew Walker (@AWalkerColts) October 8, 2020
He believes he can play without practicing if he has to, but he also doesn’t want to risk further injury by pushing it.
Walker’s absence can only be viewed as mysterious as he wasn’t featured on the initial injury report. It’s unclear whether an injury popped up after practice or if he’s dealing with a personal matter, so this is definitely something to monitor.
Whatever the case, Indianapolis has been forced to overcome injuries all season, and Week 5, at least based on this update, is shaping up to be their biggest challenge yet. In the meantime, stay tuned to see if any one of Leonard, Walker, Castonzo and Okereke return to the field on Friday.
Only then will fans know if they have a realistic shot at suiting up against the Browns.
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