Colts, Packers Injury Report: Three Key Defenders Sidelined

The Indianapolis Colts got some good news on the offensive side of the ball at practice on Wednesday, but three key defenders sat out.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) high fives wide receiver Josh Downs (1) during training camp Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indianapolis Colts got some great news on the injury report when they hit the practice field on Wednesday with the return of a couple of players who missed last week's game. However, there is always give and take as three key defensive starters all had to sit out.

As the week of practice begins ahead of Sunday's matchup at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, the availability of these players is murky.

Here is the initial injury report for both teams to start the week.

COLTS

WEDNESDAY

• Did Not Participate — S Julian Blackmon (shoulder), DT DeForest Buckner (back), DE Kwity Paye (hamstring)
• Limited Participant — WR Josh Downs (ankle)
• Full Participant — K Matt Gay (hernia)

Downs and Gay both missed the Colts' regular-season opener last week against the Houston Texans as well as the week of practice leading up to it. However, both were back on Wednesday. Gay was out for a couple of weeks since hernia surgery, but Downs suffered his high ankle sprain in early August and just got back to working on the field last week.

In speaking with reporters in the locker room on Wednesday, Downs was noncommital about his status for Sunday in Green Bay.

Buckner's injury has been known since last Sunday, as he left the Week 1 loss with his back injury. Blackmon and Paye, however, were both new, publicly unknown additions to the injury report. Both players are starters and quite important to what the Colts do defensively, but especially Blackmon, who is the only safety on the roster with extensive starting experience.

While it won't show up on the injury report, the Colts also had to place starting cornerback JuJu Brents on Injured Reserve this week with an MCL (knee) injury.

To account for all of these injuries, so far this week, the Colts have elevated cornerback Chris Lammons from the practice squad to the active roster and signed veteran free agents cornerback Kelvin Joseph and safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. to the practice squad.

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PACKERS

WEDNESDAY

• Did Not Participate — QB Jordan Love (knee)
• Limited Participant — CB Corey Ballentine (oblique), DT Kenny Clark (toe), RB Josh Jacobs (back), RB MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring)
• Full Participant — LB Edgerrin Cooper (knee)

The Packers' injury report is only slightly heavier than the Colts' is, but they're dealing with an injury to their quarterback in Love, which carries the most weight possible. Love seems unlikely to play in this game after suffering an MCL injury last week against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

Clark and Jacobs are two of the most critical members of the team outside of Love, so while they were still able to participate in a limited fashion, their status definitely bears monitoring.

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