The Indianapolis Colts will miss a star player on each side of the football for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Colts head coach Shane Steichen ruled out tight end Tyler Warren and cornerback Sauce Gardner for the Week 7 matchup. Wide receiver Anthony Gould will also miss the game due to a concussion.
Warren hasn't practiced all week after missing a Week 6 loss to the Tennessee Titans with a groin injury. Steichen said Wednesday that the 24-year-old was "progressing well" in his recovery. Despite missing Sunday's game, Warren still leads the Colts with 30 catches.
The former Penn State star began his second NFL season with touchdowns in back-to-back games but has tallied 213 yards, dropping his average yards per catch to 7.1 from 10.8 in his rookie campaign. Will Mallory played his first game of the season in Warren's absence, collecting two catches for 20 yards. Mo Alie-Cox turned his only touch into a 1-yard touchdown, but Daniel Jones didn't target Andrew Ogletree once in 30 snaps.
Meanwhile, Gardner will also sit out Sunday's game due to a calf injury. The All-Pro defender insisted the issue is "much more minor" than the calf injury that kept him out of four of last season's final five games. "I'm not really concerned," Gardner said Wednesday, per Colts.com's JJ Stankevitz.
"I trust our training staff here, and like I said, it's not as bad as last year. I'm just happy that it's not the same spot." The timing is still rough for the Colts ahead of a matchup against star Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson. Yet Gardner has struggled this season, with Pro Football Focus noting that he's allowed the most yards per reception (21.7) of any cornerback.
The short-handed Colts will look to hand the Vikings their first loss of the season this Sunday. The Week 7 clash starts at 1 p.m.
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