In the fourth quarter of the Indianapolis Colts’ loss to Detroit, Josh Downs suffered a shoulder injury while being tackled to the ground.
On the play, Downs got the ball on a designed touch behind the line of scrimmage. As Anthony Richardson tossed the ball to Downs as he streaked across the formation from left to right, Downs turned up field and as he was tackled from behind, it appeared that he went shoulder first into the ground.
Downs would exit the game and walked off under his own power. He did, however, return to the field on the following possession, but a report on Monday, followed by what Shane Steichen had to say on Wednesday, made it seem unlikely that Downs would be available for this matchup with New England.
Josh Downs injury update
Downs did not practice at all during the week leading up to today’s game. Then, following Friday’s final practice, Downs was ruled out for Sunday’s game against New England.
“It’s fine,” said Downs about the injury. “Just coaches’ decision. Shane (Steichen) and the trainers talk about it and see what’s the best for the team.”
How long will Josh Downs be out?
There is a specific timetable for how long Downs could be out. In Ian Rapoport’s original report, he called Downs “week to week” but added that he didn’t believe that this was a major injury. The Colts have their bye after the New England game, so it is possible that Downs could be ready to go for the final stretch, but we will wait and see.
Indianapolis Colts’ WR depth chart
Without Downs in the lineup during the first two games of the season, we saw a by-committee approach when it came to handling those slot responsibilities, which to some degree, will likely be how the Colts handle a potential absence this time. However, AD Mitchell could be a prime candidate to see the majority of the playing time there.
