The Indianapolis Colts are getting healthier heading into their most critical matchup of the season.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts need everything at their disposal this Sunday as they travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The two teams are tied atop the AFC South with 8-4 records, with the Jaguars holding the tiebreaker so far, and they both have the Houston Texans (7-5) a game behind them.
The Colts began the week with a few concerning names missing practice, but those players returned on Thursday, except cornerback Sauce Gardner, who is considered week-to-week with a calf injury.
Here is how both teams' health is shaping up ahead of Sunday afternoon's matchup.
COLTS
WEDNESDAY
The Colts held a walkthrough on Wednesday rather than a full practice, so Wednesday's injury report is an estimation.
- Did Not Participate — WR Josh Downs (hip/knee), CB Sauce Gardner (calf), DE Tyquan Lewis (groin), CB Kenny Moore II (illness/ankle)
- Full Participant — LB Jaylon Carlies (ankle), QB Daniel Jones (fibula)
THURSDAY
- Did Not Participate — CB Sauce Gardner (calf)
- Limited Participant — DE Tyquan Lewis (groin)
- Full Participant — LB Jaylon Carlies (ankle), WR Josh Downs (hip/knee), QB Daniel Jones (fibula), CB Kenny Moore II (illness/ankle)
Downs, Lewis, and Moore all got back on the field on Thursday, with Lewis being a limited participant and the other two full participants.
Jones continues to be a full participant. If he logs a full session on Friday, then it will be his first full week of practice since suffering his fibula injury in Week 12.
As for Carlies, this is the final week of his 21-day evaluation window. By the end of the week, the Colts must decide to activate him from Injured Reserve or keep him on it for the rest of the season. He has been a full participant in practice every day since he returned to the practice field.
JAGUARS
WEDNESDAY
- Did Not Participate — OT Walker Little (concussion), DE Travon Walker (knee), WR Parker Washington (hip), S Andrew Wingard (concussion)
- Limited Participant — DT Arik Armstead (hand), P Logan Cooke (shoulder), OT Chuma Edoga (calf), LB Devin Lloyd (chest), LS Ross Matiscik (back), G Patrick Mekari (concussion), LB Foyesade Oluokun (hamstring), DE Danny Striggow (knee)
- Full Participant — CB Jourdan Lewis (neck), S Eric Murray (neck)
THURSDAY
- Did Not Participate — OT Walker Little (concussion), S Andrew Wingard (concussion)
- Limited Participant — DT Arik Armstead (hand), P Logan Cooke (shoulder), OT Chuma Edoga (calf), LS Ross Matiscik (back), DE Travon Walker (knee), WR Parker Washington (hip)
- Full Participant — CB Jourdan Lewis (neck), LB Devin Lloyd (chest), G Patrick Mekari (concussion), S Eric Murray (neck), LB Foyesade Oluokun (hamstring), DE Danny Striggow (knee)
The Jaguars are in a tougher spot, injury-wise, than Indy. Little, Walker, Washington, and Wingard are all starters, and Walker has been out the last two weeks. If Little does not clear concussion protocol, Jacksonville will be without its left tackle.
The good news, at least, for Jacksonville is that Walker and Washington were both able to increase their workload on Thursday.
The Colts and Jaguars face off on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET at EverBank Stadium on CBS.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.