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Gardner

Gardner exited the game with a leg injury in the third quarter. He headed to the locker room and the Colts listed him as questionable to return. Gardner had dealt with a calf injury earlier this season, so it is possible he is dealing with a re-aggravation of the same injury.

Gardner missed last week’s game after suffering a calf strain in Week 6 against the Titans, but will return after getting in a limited session on Wednesday and a full practice on Thursday. We’re assuming that means he’s in line for another full practice today.

Gardner was never expected to play this week after it was announced on Monday that he would be week-to-week with his calf injury. His absence could be a good sign for Vikings pass-catchers this week in what should be a plus matchup against a Colts defense that ranks 14th in fantasy points allowed to receivers this season. In addition to Gardner, the Colts also ruled out WR Anthony Gould (concussion).

Gardner is considered week-to-week because of the calf strain he suffered in Week 6. He’s not expected to miss an “extended period”, but it’s safe to assume Gardner is out for Week 7. Maybe that will help kickstart the Vikings’ sluggish passing attack, though we doubt it.

According to Rapoport, an MRI revealed a mild calf strain for Gardner, who is expected to be week-to-week with the injury. While he is expected to miss some time, Rapoport also notes that Gardner is not expected to miss “an extended period,” which suggests he won’t be placed on injured reserve. Gardner sounds like a virtual lock to miss Week 7’s game against the Vikings, so we’ll see if a week away gives him enough time to be ready for Week 8’s game against the Jaguars. Gardner has totaled 17 tackles and four pass breakups for the Colts this season while earning a PFF coverage grade of 62.6.

Gardner injured his left calf today, which is concerning because he injured the same calf twice last year. The first injury occurred in Week 13. He resumed playing in Week 17, lasting 35 snaps before re-injuring it. Gardner was labeled questionable to return following today’s injury, but he never made it back onto the field. He will likely undergo imaging on Monday. Stay tuned.

Gardner was only able to start four games for the Colts after coming over at the trade deadline before a long-term calf injury derailed his season. He should be fine for training camp and, assuming Lou Anarumo retains his defensive coordinator job, we can look forward to a healthy Gardner shadowing in man in 2026.

It’s not all that surprising after Gardner barely practiced all week before being made active. The Colts have no incentive to push him. It wouldn’t be surprising if this were the last game he played in this year. Gardner had three tackles and a pass defensed before leaving in the second half.

He’ll give it a go despite Indianapolis being eliminated from playoff contention last night. Also playing off questionable tags are WR Ashton Dulin and OT Bernhard Raimann. Inactive for the Colts are C Tanor Bortolini (concussion), RB Tyler Goodson (ankle), S George Odum, DE JT Tuimoloau (oblique), G Dalton Tucker (shoulder) and S Reuben Lowery.

Gardner has not played since injuring his calf in Week 13’s loss to the Texans. He had not practiced at all until Friday’s session. This strikes us as a bit of a desperate play, which makes sense as the Colts are a loss away from elimination. If Gardner can play up to his talent for the whole game, he’ll likely lower Brian Thomas’ upside in Week 17.