Colts' Shane Steichen updates status of Sauce Gardner's calf injury

The Colts expect All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to miss time with a calf injury that the team's trade deadline acquisition suffered on the team’s second defensive play in Sunday’s 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans. But head coach Shane Steichen told reporters definitively Monday that Gardner avoided the worst in his non-contact injury.

“It’s his calf. His Achilles is good to go,” Steichen said, affirming both his and Gardner’s own beliefs immediately after the game. “He’s going to miss some time. But how much time, I don’t know.”

Steichen didn’t say Gardner’s status is week-to-week but when asked if that would be an accurate sentiment, Steichen said, “Yeah, possibly,” while reiterating that the team does not have a timeline laid out for Gardner’s return.

Steichen did say that the team has no plans to place its top cornerback on IR, suggesting Gardner will return in less than four weeks. There’s every reason to believe Gardner will return from the injury this season, Steichen said.

The Colts have five games remaining in the regular season, perhaps indicating Gardner could be back for the final two games of the regular season, both AFC South matchups.

Steichen didn’t use any specific terminology to classify Gardner’s injury, but the cornerback told reporters after the game Sunday he believed it would be ruled a strain. On the play in question, Gardner was trying to stay with Houston tight end Cade Stover when he felt something in his calf – “Felt like I got shot in the calf, but it was high, so I wasn’t fearing the worst,” he said after the game. Initially, Gardner needed help hobbling off the field, unable to put much weight on his left leg, but he walked into the locker room under his own power after emerging from the team’s blue injury tent on the sidelines. He returned to the sideline later in the game in street clothes with a walking boot on his left foot.

With the team’s top cornerback sidelined, fellow All-Pro corner Charvarius Ward spent far more time than originally planned manned up with Texans star wideout Nico Collins, who finished the game with five catches for 98 yards and one end-around run for a 7-yard touchdown. Ward told reporters Monday he was disappointed in his performance Sunday and noted he’s still working to get back to full-strength mentally and physically following his stint on IR with his second concussion of the year.

Gardner was dejected after the game, telling reporters he’d been “looking forward to the matchup” and acknowledged that it was tough watching the game from the sidelines just three games into his Colts tenure and during what was slated to be his first home game since joining the team in a blockbuster deal with hours left in the trade deadline.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard dealt two future first-round picks as well as young receiver Adonai Mitchell – who had a career game Sunday with eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown – for Gardner on Nov. 4, an ‘all-in’ move for a team that at the time had a high-flying offense and a defense that felt as if it was one piece away from taking a major leap.

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: Colts CB has calf injury; what we know