The Colts’ Week 7 availability story changed quickly: Sauce Gardner was talking Wednesday like his calf issue was manageable, but by Friday the team had moved from that early reassurance to an official ruling that Gardner, Tyler Warren and Anthony Gould would miss the game against the Minnesota Vikings.
That progression matters because it changes the way the matchup has to be read. The Colts’ practice-week tone suggested Gardner’s calf injury might be less of a concern than it first appeared. The final report said otherwise.
Gardner said Wednesday that the calf injury he sustained in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans “isn’t as bad as the one that sidelined him for most of the Colts’ final six games of the 2025 season.” He also said the injury was in a different spot on his leg and “much more minor than last year.”
Even so, he did not practice Wednesday, and the Colts later ruled him out for Week 7.
Warren’s situation followed a similar path. He had already missed Week 6 after suffering a groin injury in practice, and he did not practice again this week before being ruled out for the Vikings game. Anthony Gould, who was injured during Sunday’s game, was also ruled out.
Head coach Shane Steichen had already confirmed the three would not play before the Colts’ full injury report was released later Friday, making the team’s final availability call clear even before the official listing arrived.
The timing is the key detail here. Gardner’s comments on Wednesday pointed toward caution without alarm. The final decision turned that into a firm absence. Warren’s groin injury kept him out for a second straight week. Gould’s absence removes another piece from the Colts’ special teams mix.
There is also broader injury context around the roster. Gardner’s calf issue came after he exited the Week 6 loss to Tennessee four plays into the third quarter and did not return. He also missed practice Wednesday. Punter Rigoberto Sanchez was dealing with a right foot injury as well, and the Colts signed veteran punter Thomas Morstead to their practice squad as a precautionary move.
The Vikings matchup now has to be evaluated with those absences in mind, not with the earlier practice-week optimism. The Colts entered the week with Gardner sounding less concerned about his calf than he had been about a previous injury, but the final availability decision superseded that tone. For Week 7, the answer is not what Gardner said Wednesday. It is who the Colts ruled out Friday.