The Indianapolis Colts are going to be without cornerback Charvarius Ward for a while. Things must be bad, too, because Indy decided to put their best cornerback on injured reserve a day before Week 7's matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Ward will need to miss at least four games.
Bye weeks do not count during that stretch. Indianapolis's bye week is Week 11, so this means the team is giving him five weeks to recover. To be sure, for the human being, concussions are no joke, and if Ward is concerned about his long-term, post-NFL health, he could simply retire.
He likely won't do that, and he could come back in Week 12 and be healthy for years to come. Still, concussions go beyond playing football. CTE is a real concern, and Ward has made enough money to do whatever he wants to do if that doesn't involve football.
Indianapolis Colts place Charvarius Ward on injured reserve
So, doom and gloom aside, the Colts might need to look at a replacement ahead of the trade deadline to replace Ward. Or, assuming Ward can come back, maybe Indy needs to go after a cornerback to pair with Ward when he eventually returns. The team has lots of options either way.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen is in the final year of his rookie deal, has been overall very good in coverage throughout his career, but Seattle might be looking to move him. Maybe Indianapolis offers Seahawks general manager John Schneider a fourth or fifth-round pick, and Schneider takes it.
Woolen could be the Colts' CB1, even after Ward returns. For as much as Indianapolis has had issues with injuries at cornerback from training camp into the regular season, adding Woolen, or a player like him, might mean by the end of the season that Indy has its best outside cornerback duo.
The Indianapolis Colts are almost certainly going to make the playoffs. Is the defense perfect? No, far from it, but the offense is so efficient it covers up all manner of sins. Plus, the defense could be better later than now. That would be scary for the Colts' opponents in the postseason.