Colts, Chiefs Injury Report: Health Trending in Right Direction
In this story:
The Indianapolis Colts are going to need all hands on deck this Sunday against the 2-0 Kansas City Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Although there were a few more names added to the injury list this week, most of their players are showing improvement.
Here is how the Colts and Chiefs are looking before the matchup.
COLTS
WEDNESDAY
- Did Not Participate — OL Bernhard Raimann (ankle)
- Limited Participant — WR Michael Pittman Jr. (quad), DE Yannick Ngakoue (back), DT DeForest Buckner (hip)
- Full Participant — WR Alec Pierce (concussion), DT Grover Stewart (shoulder), LB Shaquille Leonard (back), LB Zaire Franklin (shoulder), S Julian Blackmon (shoulder)
THURSDAY
- Did Not Participate — DE Yannick Ngakoue (back)
- Limited Participant — WR Michael Pittman Jr. (quad), OL Bernhard Raimann (ankle)
- Full Participant — WR Alec Pierce (concussion), DT DeForest Buckner (hip), DT Grover Stewart (shoulder), LB Shaquille Leonard (back), LB Zaire Franklin (shoulder), S Julian Blackmon (shoulder)
Ngakoue being the only downgrade on the day is an encouraging sign, although he is expected to be the team's top pass-rusher. Still, if he continues to trend downward, it's an opportunity to see more snaps from Tyquan Lewis and Dayo Odeyingbo.
At receiver, Pierce logging another full practice is another great sign for potentially clearing the league's concussion protocol. Pittman got in another limited session but declined to go into detail about his injury with reporters on Thursday.
Raimann and Buckner were both upgraded after missing some time on Wednesday.
CHIEFS
WEDNESDAY
- Did Not Participate — DE Michael Danna (calf), K Harrison Butker (left ankle)
- Limited Participant — WR Mecole Hardman (heel)
- Full Participant — WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder), WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (hip), WR Justin Watson (chest), OT Orlando Brown Jr. (knee), G Trey Smith (ankle)
THURSDAY
- Did Not Participate — DE Michael Danna (calf), K Harrison Butker (left ankle)
- Limited Participant — WR Mecole Hardman (heel)
- Full Participant — WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder), WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (hip), WR Justin Watson (chest), OT Orlando Brown Jr. (knee), G Trey Smith (ankle)
The injuries to Danna and Butker bear monitoring, as Danna is an important part of Kansas City's pass rush, and Butker has been out since Week 1 with an ankle injury.
Otherwise, the Chiefs' receiving corps is a bit banged-up, but we'll see if anyone's in real jeopardy of missing the game.
Follow Jake on Twitter and Facebook @JakeArthurNFL. Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and Twitter.
