INDIANAPOLIS – After being seen on the sidelines after his left calf injury with a walking boot during Sunday’s Colts loss to the Texans, and then needing crutches to navigate the locker room after his postgame interviews, Colts All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner was moving better and without assistance in the locker room Wednesday, as he joined in on a lively but casual round of hoops on the team’s mini-basket at the center of the locker room.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen was positive in his update on Gardner, who lasted two plays Sunday before suffering the non-contact injury. Steichen wouldn’t definitely declare him to be out for Sunday’s visit to Jacksonville.

“He’s rehabbing. He’s feeling good right now, but he’ll probably miss some time,” Steichen said Wednesday.

Gardner told reporters Sunday that he initially felt as if he “got shot” in his calf, but that evaluations during the game in the locker room assuaged any fears of an Achilles tear, which Steichen confirmed Monday. Steichen also said earlier this week that Gardner would not be put on IR, indicating that his time sidelined with the calf injury should be three games or less.

Gardner told reporters he believes the injury was merely a strain, and Steichen has reiterated multiple times this week that his All-Pro cornerback secured at last month’s trade deadline suffered a calf injury but hasn’t gone any further to describe the type or severity of the injury.

The ex-Jet’s injury comes at a pivotal time with five games to go in the regular season and the Colts tied atop the AFC South. The Texans are a game back, and the Colts face their two strongest divisional opponents three more times over their final five games of the regular season.

With Gardner likely out for at least Sunday’s game, it will mark yet another game the Colts will be without its defense at full strength, as All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner sits at least one more week on IR with a neck injury. Buckner initially missed the team’s visit to Berlin to face the Falcons just days after the Colts acquired Gardner and two weeks before fellow All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward was able to return to the lineup following his second concussion of the year.

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.