Colts’ Sauce Gardner joins the team, practicing for the Falcons
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner discusses getting traded to the team.
INDIANAPOLIS – Colts star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has been ruled out of Sunday’s international game in Berlin against the Atlanta Falcons with a neck injury, according to the team’s injury report following Thursday’s practice.
The team plans to fly to Berlin Thursday night, and Buckner will not make the trip, according to a team spokesperson.
Buckner was seen entering the team’s blue injury evaluation tent late in the first half of Sunday’s 27-20 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the 31-year-old All-Pro returned to the field and played during Sunday’s second half, playing 49 of the team’s 62 snaps on defense, or 79% — a typical workload for the former seventh-overall pick. In the immdediate aftermath of Sunday’s game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen noted the team had no injury concerns stemming from the game, and Steichen repeated the same Monday afternoon.
The Colts head coach noted Wednesday morning ahead of the team’s first practice of the week that injured defensive ends Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis, as well as wide receiver Anthony Gould, would not practice later that day, but the prospect of losing Buckner was not mentioned. Last season, the Colts starting defensive tackle missed five games while on IR with an ankle sprain, the first significant injury of his career, having missed single games during his rookie season in 2016 with a separate ankle injury and in 2020 due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Buckner has often gotten repreive from Friday practices for traditional rest, but he missed the team’s practice Wednesday. Ebukam (knee), Gould (knee) and Lewis (groin) were among those that, along with Buckner, did not return to action in Thursday’s practice after missing Wednesday’s. Guard Matt Goncalves (personal), cornerback Kenny Moore II (Achilles) and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (glute) all missed Wednesday’s practice but returned as full participants Thursday. Defensive tackle Grover Stewart missed Thursday’s practice due to rest.
New Colts cornerback addition Sauce Gardner has been a full participant in both team practices this week, having cleared concussion protocol following his head injury suffered in Week 7 that sidelined him for the Jets’ Week 8 win, and he’s in line to play Sunday. The Colts will hold their final team practice of the week Friday in Germany, where game statuses for Gould, Ebukam and Lewis will be further solidified.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.