With a crucial matchup against the 0-4 Jacksonville Jaguars on tap for week five, the Indianapolis Colts find themselves with a slew of prominent names on their Wednesday injury report.
Cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip), defensive end Kwity Paye (quadricep), and center Ryan Kelly (neck) all missed Indy's win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now linebacker Zaire Franklin (illness), tackle Braden Smith (knee), and running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) find themselves on this week's report. The hope is that the majority of the starters can suit up for a critical AFC South battle.
The most encouraging news for Indy on Wednesday is the 'limited' tag on the oblique of quarterback Anthony Richardson. While backup Joe Flacco was able to ride a large lead to victory over the Steelers, the Colts are a more capable offense with Richardson under center. We'll have to closely monitor the status of Indy's field general as Sunday approaches.
As for the Jaguars, they've had their own issues with key players not seeing the field, most notably tight end Evan Engram.
Now, Engram is limited (hamstring) but star defensive end Josh Hines-Allen didn't practice (concussion). Along with him was linebacker Devin Lloyd (knee). If Jacksonville doesn't get the presence of Hines-Allen and Lloyd on Sunday, Indianapolis' offensive gameplan will likely be to attack the defensive trenches with their top-tier offensive line.
Both squads have rough injuries in the early stretch of 2024, which isn't ideal. However, if Indianapolis can get even Richardson to return, they've got a shot to end their decade-long hiatus of a road win in Jacksonville. We'll see what happens with each AFC South contender's injury report as week five draws near.
