What Colts CB Sauce Gardner said about his leg injury

INDIANAPOLIS — Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner believes he was knocked out of Sunday’s 20-16 loss to Houston by a calf strain suffered on the second play of the game.

Gardner was trying to stay with Houston tight end Cade Stover when he felt something in his calf and pulled up, sliding out of the play before going down and asking for the trainers.

Indianapolis doctors initially had to help Gardner off the field because he could not put any weight on his left leg, but he was able to limp with help to the locker room after further examination, and he left the Colts locker room on Sunday using crutches, but putting weight on his left leg.

The new Colts cornerback believes he avoided the possibility of a season-ending Achilles injury .

“I think it’s a strain,” Gardner said. “Felt like I got shot in the calf, but it was high, so I wasn’t fearing the worst.”

A calf strain often prompts fears of an Achilles tendon rupture. Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton battled a calf strain in the NBA Finals before tearing his Achilles in Game 7, an injury that has knocked him out of the 2025-2026 season entirely.

Gardner initially did not believe he was facing a similar kind of injury.

“I don’t think it’s the Achilles or nothing like that,” Gardner said.

If Gardner was able to avoid the worst-case scenario, it is a silver lining to an otherwise black cloud. Indianapolis traded two first-round picks and 2024 second-round wide receiver Adonai Mitchell — who had a breakout game with eight catches, 102 yards and his first career touchdown for the Jets on Sunday — in order to get Gardner, a two-time All-Pro cornerback.

By trading for Gardner, the Colts wanted to pair an All-Pro in the prime of his career with veteran Charvarius Ward, the team’s biggest prize in free agency.

Putting those two cornerbacks together allowed Indianapolis to play man-to-man coverage.

Indianapolis played a combination of Jaylon Jones and Mekhi Blackmon in Gardner’s place, and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 22 of 35 passes for 276 yards.

Gardner acknowledged that it was difficult to pay close attention to the game while dealing with the injury. He watched most of the game from the sidelines, wearing a boot on his left leg.

“It was tough, because I was looking forward to the matchup,” Gardner said. “I was looking forward to my first home game. It happens.”

Gardner believed he would have an MRI on the calf on Sunday evening, although the team often does not get full information on injuries until late on Monday. Colts coach Shane Steichen said he didn't have any additional information except that it was a calf injury.

If Gardner is forced to miss significant time, Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is going to have to get creative, likely using matchups instead of playing as much man-to-man as he’d like.

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

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sauce Gardner injury update: What Colts CB said about calf injury