Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner hurt his left calf early in the third quarter on Sunday and did not come back, and the defense he anchors gave up 26 second-half points as the Tennessee Titans rallied for a 26-20 win at Lucas Oil Stadium. The club listed him as questionable to return at 2:48 p.m. EDT.
Sauce Gardner (calf) questionable for return. #TENvsIND
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 18, 2026
Gardner went down during Tennessee’s first series after halftime, was looked at by the training staff and then headed to the locker room. Kevin Bowen reported later in the quarter that Gardner was back on the sideline, backpedalling lightly without a helmet, but he never went back in. The club did not give a timeline after the game.
The injury is a familiar one. Gardner missed several games with a calf problem last season, and the Colts have not said whether Sunday’s injury involves the same leg muscle. He had been targeted 17 times in coverage this season, allowing nine catches for 195 yards with three pass breakups.
Two more injuries in a costly fourth quarter
Cam Taylor-Britt replaced Gardner at outside cornerback, and his afternoon ended badly: a 36-yard pass interference penalty against him helped Tennessee move into range for one of Joey Slye’s two late field goals.
Punter Rigoberto Sanchez was also listed as questionable to return with a foot injury late in the game, after James Williams Sr. had blocked one of his punts for an Oluwafemi Oladejo touchdown that put Tennessee ahead 20-13. Receiver and returner Anthony Gould was evaluated for a concussion.
Rigo Sanchez (foot) questionable for return. #TENvsIND
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 18, 2026
Indianapolis was already short-handed. Tight end Tyler Warren missed the first game of his career with a groin injury he aggravated in Friday’s practice, and receiver Ashton Dulin (hamstring) and linebacker Jaylon Carlies (ribs) sat out for a second week in a row.
How the lead slipped away
The Colts out-gained Tennessee 232-64 in the first half but led only 13-0, on Daniel Jones’ 1-yard touchdown pass to Mo Alie-Cox and two Spencer Shrader field goals. Jeffery Simmons forced a Jonathan Taylor fumble on the first snap of the third quarter, and Tennessee never stopped coming. Cam Ward found rookie Carnell Tate for the tying 8-yard score, Taylor answered with a 4-yard run to make it 20-20, and Slye won it from 49 and 44 yards. Jones was sacked six times and threw two interceptions.
What comes next
The Colts, now 2-4 after back-to-back losses, visit the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, October 25, at 1 p.m. EDT, and the first practice report of the week will show where Gardner stands. Tennessee (1-5) hosts the Cleveland Browns. Follow every update on the WhyNFL injury page.
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