After he suffered a concussion in pregame warmups last week, the Colts will go without cornerback Charvarius Ward for the foreseeable future. The team has placed Ward on injured reserve, requiring him to sit out at least four games. With a bye after that stretch, Ward will be eligible to return in Week 12.
A former Chief and 49er, Ward joined the Colts on a three-year deal worth up to $60MM last March. Alarmingly, the 29-year-old has already dealt with two concussions in 2025. He returned quickly after missing a Week 2 win over the Broncos with a head injury, but that won’t be the case this time.
When healthy, Ward has started in all four appearances and tallied 13 tackles and three passes defensed. Pro Football Focus has been enamored of Ward’s play, ranking his early season performance second among 107 qualifying corners.
Ward’s injury is a major blow at corner, where the Colts are now dangerously thin behind Mekhi Blackmon and slot CB Kenny Moore.
While Moore is likely to return Sunday after missing three straight games with an Achilles injury, the Colts are still lacking at the position. Undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards and the veteran duo of Chris Lammons and Cameron Mitchell have combined for just 199 defensive snaps this season. For now, they’re next in line as a result of Ward’s injury. They’re in for a significant challenge in Week 7 against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Along with Ward’s IR placement, the Colts announced the elevations of Mitchell and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell from the practice squad on Saturday. They also signed running back Ameer Abdullah from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Treadwell will serve as depth with receivers Josh Downs (concussion) and Ashton Dulin (chest) out on Sunday. Running back Tyler Goodson (knee) won’t play either, creating room for Abdullah behind starter Jonathan Taylor.