After not placing any players on the reserve/COVID-19 list during the first nine weeks of the season, the Colts have been forced to move three over in the past three weeks.
First Matthew Adams, then Denico Autry and now the biggest blow yet.
DeForest Buckner, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle and centerpiece of the Colts’ revamped defensive line, was moved to the list on Wednesday, a major blow for this team four days before Sunday’s critical AFC South showdown with Tennessee. Though it does not necessarily mean Buckner has been ruled out of Sunday’s game, his availability is now very much in doubt.
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According to the NFL’s latest COVID-19 protocols, any player who tests positive and is showing symptoms will have to wait a minimum of 14 days to return and have at least 72 hours pass without any of the symptoms recurring. That window would keep the player out at least two games.
If a player tests positive but is not showing any symptoms, he can return to the field either 10 days after the positive test or in five days if they’re able to test negative twice.
But the Colts have not divulged whether Buckner, in fact, tested negative. What figures to be the best-case scenario for Indianapolis is if Buckner did not test positive, but was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as he was deemed a “high risk” close contact. Under those guidelines, Buckner would have to remain on the list until at least five days have passed since the last time he came in contact with the infected individual.
He’d be allowed to return to the field on the sixth day, presuming all of his tests were negative.
This happened earlier in the season with Adams, a reserve linebacker.
But without knowing those details, it’s difficult to pinpoint a potential return date. Since he was put on the list on Wednesday, four days before the Titans game, it’s highly unlikely Buckner will be cleared to play on Sunday. His earliest return day would likely be Monday.
It’s also unlikely this is a false-positive scenario; when the Colts have had those in recent weeks, they haven’t placed those players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The blow is a major one not only because of how much Buckner impacts the game upfront — he has 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a safety, 16 QB hits, a forced fumble and a fumble return this season — but because he’s the second defensive linemen the Colts will likely be without on Sunday. Autry, who was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week, missed Sundays’ win over the Packers and has yet to return to the building.
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That means there’s a very real chance the Colts are without two of their best defensive linemen for the game that could ultimately decide the division winner. Both Indianapolis and Tennessee are 7-3.
To date, Buckner has started 69 consecutive games, the third-longest streak among all defensive linemen in football. He’s missed just one game in his entire five-year career.
If he’s unable to go, the Colts would likely start Tyquan Lewis in his stead. Lewis, the former second-round pick out of Ohio State, is having a breakout season in his third year, with 3.5 sacks in reserve duty.
On Monday, Colts coach Frank Reich declined to go into specifics on Autry’s situation. He was placed on the list on Nov. 20, so if he is asymptomatic toward the end of this week, he will have cleared the 10-day window and could return.
“The league rule is if you’re asymptomatic, it’s 10 days from the test date,” Reich said. “If you have symptoms, then it is 14 days. So according to the letter of the law, the 10-day window would have him ready but whether or not he has symptoms is not something we need to or want to discuss.”
The Colts will take Thursday off for Thanksgiving before returning to practice Friday.
The injury report for Wednesday’s workout was a long one, with 10 starters (including Buckner) missing practice. Quarterback Philip Rivers sat out due to that sore toe but he doesn’t expect it to keep him from making his 235th consecutive start on Sunday.
Justin Houston’s absence was not injury-related, likely meaning the team deemed him a close contact to Buckner. The others who missed practice: Safety Julian Blackmon and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (illness), center Ryan Kelly (neck), left guard Quenton Nelson (back/ankle), linebacker Bobby Okereke (ankle), wideout Zach Pascal (knee/foot) and safety Khari Willis (ribs/shoulder).
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Right tackle Braden Smith, who missed Sunday’s game with a thumb injury, was back on the field, working with a cast on his right thumb. Linebacker Anthony Walker, who left the field late in Sunday’s win after a nasty collision, was a full participant in practice (ribs).
(Photo: Jason Miller / Getty)