All Indianapolis Colts fans have been hearing recently is bad news. Sort of. Many wanted general manager Chris Ballard gone long before 2026, and now he is. Still, some on-field good news is wanted, and that comes with the Week 8 injury report.
Head coach Shane Steichen said that cornerback Sauce Gardner and tight end Tyler Warren will be able to play against the Jaguars in Jacksonville. Gardner missed one game with a calf injury, and Warren has missed the last two games with a groin injury.
Steichen ruled out wide receiver/returner Anthony Gould (concussion) and cornerback Justin Walley (knee), though. The latter might be a bigger issue. Cam Taylor-Britt will likely pick up Walley's, and the veteran cornerback has been brilliant at times and awful in others.
Indianapolis Colts will have Sauce Gardner and Tyler Warren available in Week 8
For the team to be successful and win on the road against the Jaguars for the first time since 2014, Taylor-Britt needs to be excellent. Jacksonville has an excellent offense, and Taylor-Britt will need to be solid in all phases.
Still, the best news during a week that has seen the Colts trade defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and left guard Quenton Nelson is that Gardner and Warren are playing. Gardner remains one of the best players at his position in the league, and while Warren hasn't exactly had a terrific year, he is capable of being elite.
While most Indy players could be trade targets, it is unlikely that Gardner and Warren are dealt. Warren was only drafted last year, and the team just traded for Gardner midway through last season. Both should be tentpoles in the future of the organization and help the rebuild happen more quickly.
The team might have chosen to sit wide receiver Josh Downs and running back Jonathan Taylor for the game because they are potential trade targets. The situation gets a bit odd, though.
Not playing them means they are at risk of being hurt, but that also means the Indianapolis Colts would have very little chance of beating a good Jaguars team. Some members of the organization believe Indy can win games while also rebuilding the roster. That's tricky.
Taylor could be a pillar of the franchise for several years, much like Gardner and Warren could be. Downs, though, has requested to be traded. Even if he isn't, he is a free agent next offseason and will almost certainly be playing for another team in 2027.
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