Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner exited Sunday’s 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans because of a calf strain, the veteran said in the postgame locker room. While the injury could cause him to miss some time, the initial diagnosis of a calf strain — not an Achilles injury — is a relief for the Colts.

Gardner left during the first quarter after sustaining the non-contact injury on the Texans’ opening drive, Indy’s second defensive snap of the day.

“It felt like I got shot in the calf,” Gardner said of the pain he felt on the play. “But it was high. I wasn’t fearing, or I wasn’t thinking it was (my Achilles).”

Gardner said he is scheduled to undergo more tests to determine the severity of his injury.

Sauce Gardner walks off the field in Indy VERY gingerly pic.twitter.com/33bMgT0aQf

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 30, 2025

The veteran went to the ground during the play and eventually had to be helped up to his feet. He couldn’t put any weight on his left leg while exiting the field. Gardner was briefly looked at in the blue medical tent on the sideline before being helped by trainers into the locker room.

The Colts acquired Gardner from the Jets in October at the trade deadline. Indianapolis sent its first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, as well as wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, to New York for Gardner, who was the 2022 No. 4 pick and Defensive Rookie of the Year. His two first-team All-Pro selections are more than all of the Colts’ cornerbacks combined over the last 50 years.

The Colts felt Gardner’s absence Sunday, as Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 22-of-35 passes for 276 yards, 98 of which went to his top receiver, Nico Collins. While Indianapolis has another standout boundary corner in Charvarius Ward, having Gardner on the field would have helped the Colts corral Collins and contain Stroud.

I asked #Colts CB Sauce Gardner if he was told he avoided an Achilles injury during his initial tests:

“I wouldn’t just say ‘avoid.’ God got a plan for everything. So, I don’t think that’s what it is, but that’s all God just slowing me down a little bit for a greater reason.” https://t.co/MooapPVYt3

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) November 30, 2025