The Colts are set to have cornerback Sauce Gardner back in their lineup on Sunday.
Head coach Shane Steichen said on Friday that the plan is for Gardner to play against the Jaguars. Gardner has missed the last three games with a calf injury.
Gardner has only appeared in three games for Indianapolis since being acquired from the Jets during the season. The Colts lost all three games he missed, which helped improve the first of the two first-round picks they sent to the Jets in the deal.
Steichen said that left tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow) is also expected to play, but defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will not play. He’s going back on injured reserve after aggravating a neck injury and he is set to have surgery.
Center Tanor Bortolini (concussion), wide receiver Anthony Gould (foot), tight end Drew Ogletree (neck), and defensive end JT Tuimoloau (oblique) will also miss this weekend’s game.
The Colts did not hold a practice on Thursday, but they say that cornerback Sauce Gardner would have returned to the field if they did.
Gardner has missed the last three games with a calf injury and he did not practice on Wednesday, but he is listed as a limited participant on their Christmas injury report.
Friday will bring a more concrete look at where Gardner stands in his recovery from the injury. They will issue injury designations for their game against the Jaguars after their final workout of the week.
The result of Saturday’s Texans game could also impact their decision about playing Gardner. If the Texans beat the Chargers, the Colts will be eliminated from playoff contention before they take the field on Sunday.
Sauce remained on the side at Colts practice on Wednesday.
The Colts listed cornerback Sauce Gardner as out of practice due to the calf injury that has kept him from playing in the last three games. The Colts noted that the team only held a walkthrough, so all participation levels are an estimation.
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (neck) was also listed as out of practice. Buckner returned from injured reserve to play against the 49ers in Week 16.
The Colts will be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Center Tanor Bortolini (concussion), running back Tyler Goodson (ankle), wide receiver Anthony Gould (foot), tight end Drew Ogletree (neck), guard Dalton Tucker (shoulder), and defensive end JT Tuimoloau (oblique) were the other Colts out of practice. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann (elbow) and quarterback Anthony Richardson (eye) were the only players listed as limited participants.
Wide receiver Ashton Dulin (hamstring), cornerback Jaylon Jones (knee), and safety Daniel Scott (knee) were listed as full participants.
With J.J. McCarthy out for at least this week, the Vikings have added some depth at quarterback to their 53-man roster.
Minnesota has claimed Brett Rypien off of waivers, the team announced on Tuesday.
Rypien was recently released by the Colts. He previously spent time with the Vikings in 2024 and was with the club through the offseason and training camp this year. He did not appear in a regular-season game for the Vikings.
In 11 appearances with four starts, Rypien has completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 950 yards with four touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The Vikings signing a quarterback to the 53-man roster suggests McCarthy may not be able to return for Week 18. But Minnesota has not announced a subsequent roster move with McCarthy after head coach Kevin O’Connell ruled him out for Thursday’s matchup with the Lions earlier in the day.
The AFC and NFC rosters for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games were announced on Tuesday morning.
Votes from fans, coaches and players were used to select the teams. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce led the fan vote and was named to his 11th Pro Bowl. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, and Bears safety Kevin Byard were the other leaders in that vote, but Williams is not on the initial NFC roster.
Chargers tackle Joe Alt did make the AFC roster despite playing in only six games before being shut down with an ankle injury.
Three teams — the Jets, Saints and Vikings — have no Pro Bowlers. The Broncos, 49ers, Ravens, and Seahawks each had six players selected.
The Pro Bowl Games will be held in San Francisco on February
The full rosters appear below with starters indicated by an asterisk.
AFC
Quarterback: Josh Allen*, Buffalo Bills; Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers; Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Running back: De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins; James Cook, Buffalo Bills; Jonathan Taylor*, Indianapolis Colts
Fullback: Patrick Ricard*, Baltimore Ravens
Wide receiver: Ja’Marr Chase*, Cincinnati Bengals; Nico Collins*, Houston Texans; Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens; Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Tight end: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders*; Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Offensive tackle: Joe Alt*, Los Angeles Chargers; Garett Bolles*, Denver Broncos; Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills
Offensive guard: Quinn Meinerz*, Denver Broncos; Quenton Nelson*, Indianapolis Colts; Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Center: Creed Humphrey*, Kansas City Chiefs; Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
Defensive end: Will Anderson Jr.*, Houston Texans; Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders; Myles Garrett*, Cleveland Browns
Interior linemen: Zach Allen, Denver Broncos; Chris Jones*, Kansas City Chiefs; Jeffrey Simmons*, Tennessee Titans
Outside linebacker: Nik Bonitto*, Denver Broncos; Tuli Tuipulotu, Los Angeles Chargers; T.J. Watt*, Pittsburgh Steelers
Inside/middle linebacker: Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans; Roquan Smith*, Baltimore Ravens
Cornerback: Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots; Derek Stingley Jr.*, Houston Texans; Pat Surtain II*, Denver Broncos; Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
Free safety: Jalen Ramsey*, Pittsburgh Steelers
Strong safety: Kyle Hamilton*, Baltimore Ravens; Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
Long-snapper: Ross Matiscik*, Jacksonville Jaguars
Punter: Jordan Stout*, Baltimore Ravens
Place-kicker: Cameron Dicker*, Los Angeles Chargers
Return specialist: Chimere Dike*, Tennessee Titans
Special-teamer: Ben Skowronek*, Pittsburgh
NFC
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford*, Los Angeles Rams; Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks; Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Running back: Jahmyr Gibbs*, Detroit Lions; Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers; Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk*, San Francisco 49ers
Wide receiver: Puka Nacua*, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba*, Seattle Seahawks; George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Tight end: Trey McBride*, Arizona Cardinals; George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Offensive tackle: Penei Sewell*, Detroit Lions; Tristan Wirfs* Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Offensive guard: Tyler Smith*, Dallas Cowboys; Joe Thuney*, Chicago Bears; Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
Center: Drew Dalman*, Chicago Bears; Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia Eagles
Defensive end: Aidan Hutchinson*, Detroit Lions; Micah Parsons*, Green Bay Packers; DeMarcus Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks
Interior linemen: Jalen Carter*, Philadelphia Eagles; Leonard Williams*, Seattle Seahawks, Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Outside linebacker: Brian Burns*, New York Giants, Jared Verse*, Los Angeles Rams; Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams
Inside/middle linebacker: Jack Campbell*, Detroit Lions; Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
Cornerback: Jaycee Horn*, Carolina Panthers; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
Free safety: Kevin Byard III*, Chicago Bears; Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Strong safety: Budda Baker*, Arizona Cardinals
Long-snapper: Jon Weeks*, San Francisco 49ers
Punter: Tress Way*, Washington Commanders
Placekicker: Brandon Aubrey*, Dallas Cowboys
Return specialist: Rashid Shaheed*, Seattle Seahawks
Special-teamer: Luke Gifford*, San Francisco 49ers
