The locker room at West 56th Street is quiet now. Too quiet. After a 2025 season that felt more like a medical drama than a football campaign, the Indianapolis Colts injury report has finally shifted from a weekly tactical headache to a long-term roadmap for survival.
Honestly, if you're a Colts fan, you've probably spent more time looking at orbital bone diagrams and Achilles rehab timelines than actual touchdown replays lately. It was a brutal year. The team finished 8-9, losing seven straight to close out the schedule, and most of that slide can be traced directly to a training table that was constantly full.
The Anthony Richardson Eye Saga
Let’s talk about the weirdest injury in recent memory. Anthony Richardson's season didn't end on a big hit or a turf toe snag. It ended because of a freak accident with a stretch band during pregame warmups before Week 6.
He fractured his orbital bone.
For months, the hope was that he'd be back for the December push. He even returned to practice as a limited participant, wearing that red non-contact jersey. But the vision just didn't come back in full. Head coach Shane Steichen was pretty blunt about it toward the end—Richardson was dealing with vision limitations in his right eye that made it impossible to clear him for game action.
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The medical reality here is tricky. It’s not like a broken leg where you just wait for the bone to knit. Vision is about depth perception and tracking a spiraling pigskin at 50 mph. As of mid-January 2026, Richardson is still working through those impairments. General Manager Chris Ballard hasn't committed to him being the definitive QB1 for the start of 2026, mostly because they just don't know if that eye will ever be 100% again.
DeForest Buckner and the Veteran Core
It wasn't just the young guns. The heart of the defense took a massive hit when DeForest Buckner went down with a neck injury. He was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) in late December, effectively ending any hope of a defensive resurgence.
When you lose a guy like Buckner, you don't just lose sacks. You lose the guy who commands double teams and makes life easier for everyone else. Seeing him on the Indianapolis Colts injury report with a "Neck" designation is always scary for a veteran of his age.
- Braden Smith: Out with a concussion (IR).
- Charvarius Ward: Also hit the IR with a concussion late in the year.
- Sauce Gardner: The big offseason acquisition was sidelined for the finale with a nagging calf issue.
The Sauce Gardner situation was particularly frustrating. He missed a chunk of time, tried to come back, and then aggravated the calf almost immediately. It’s that classic "too much, too soon" scenario that haunted the secondary all December.
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Why Daniel Jones Changes the Math
Remember when Indy signed Daniel Jones as "insurance"?
He actually played great. For a while, the Colts were sitting at the top of the AFC. Then, the nightmare happened: a torn Achilles.
Now the Colts are staring at a 2026 season where their "reliable" vet is recovering from the most notoriously difficult injury in sports, and their "franchise future" can't see the whole field yet. It’s a mess.
Current IR and Sidelined Players (January 2026)
| Player | Position | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Richardson | QB | Eye (Orbital) | Vision issues persisting |
| Daniel Jones | QB | Achilles | Out for start of 2026 |
| DeForest Buckner | DT | Neck | Offseason rehab |
| Sauce Gardner | CB | Calf | Expected back for camp |
| Will Mallory | TE | Lung/Chest | Monitoring |
| Spencer Shrader | K | Knee (ACL) | Likely out for 2026 start |
What Happens Next?
The medical staff in Indianapolis is going to be the most important part of the organization for the next six months. You've got guys like Bernhard Raimann (elbow) and Tanor Bortolini (concussion) who should be totally fine by the time OTAs roll around. Those are the easy ones.
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The real "must-watch" updates involve the guys who need specialized recovery. Achilles tears and eye surgeries don't follow a standard NFL calendar.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason:
- Draft Capital: Expect Ballard to look at offensive line depth early. With Braden Smith’s injury history and the general beating the QBs took, they need bodies.
- Quarterback Search: Don't be surprised if the Colts bring in another veteran arm. With Richardson's vision and Jones's Achilles, they can't afford to start Riley Leonard if things go south.
- Defensive Line: They need a contingency plan for Buckner. Neck injuries for 300-pound men are unpredictable.
Keeping an eye on the Indianapolis Colts injury report during the spring might feel boring, but for this team, it’s the only thing that matters. If the vision doesn't clear and the tendons don't heal, the 2026 season could be over before the first whistle.
Monitor the 21-day practice windows once training camp starts. That's usually where we see the first real sign of who is actually "football ready" versus just "medically cleared."