Indianapolis Colts Week 7 injury report could be a cause for concern

The Colts have been struggling with injuries throughout the 2024 season, particularly on defense, which has been absolutely decimated. Several defensive standouts - DeForest Buckner, Tyquan Lewis, Juju Brents, and more - have all been placed on injured reserve, while on the offense, quarterback Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor have both been forced to sit out for several weeks following injuries suffered during their Week 4 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. And of course, there was the gruesome tibia fracture for Will Fries in Week 5, which put him out for the rest of the season.

As the Colts prepare to battle the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, their current injury report is troubling. Yet there is still some reason for optimism; Richardson has had full participation in practice, and it appears that head coach Shane Steichen has been wanting to ensure that his star QB is fully healthy before putting him back out on the field. As for Taylor, though his ankle sprain was initially said to be mild, he's been out for several weeks - a huge blow for the Colts offense, considering Taylor had been a league leader in rushing yards before getting injured. Steichen said he was getting better, though, meaning Colts fans might see him back on the field sooner rather than later. "We'll see how the week goes, but he's doing a lot better," Steichen said. "A lot better."

Will Taylor and Richardson be back by Sunday? Or will Joe Flacco continue his winning streak for the Colts while Richardson is injured?

Here is the Colts' injury report for Week 7 after their final practice.

The second practice of the week saw several Colts players return, including Richardson, Braden Smith, and Michael Pittman, Jr., with others back at limited practice.

However, the news wasn't all an improvement; wide receiver Alec Pierce seemingly injured his shoulder at some point between yesterday's practice and today, and did not take the field. It's not clear yet how bad his shoulder injury is, or if he'll continue to sit out the rest of the week.

At the third and final practice before their Week 7 game, the only two officially ruled out were Jonathan Taylor and Chris Lammons. Josh Downs, Dayo Odeyingbo, Michael Pittman Jr., Braden Smith, EJ Speed, and Alec Pierce have all been listed as questionable for Sunday.

Anthony Richardson, however, will officially retake his position as starting quarterback on Sunday.