It’s been reported that the Indianapolis Colts will be without wide receiver Josh Downs for their Week 2 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, according to Ian Rapoport.
As of Sunday morning, Ian Rapoport reported that it was “50-50” as to whether or not Downs would play.
Downs has been working through a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in practice during early August. He missed the Colts’ Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans.
He did return to practice this week and was a full participant on Friday after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday, but in what is a long NFL season, the Colts are remaining cautious.
Downs told James Boyd of The Athletic this past week that the key to him playing was being able to run and cut without thinking about his ankle.
Last week without Downs, the Colts took a by-committee approach to fill the void, with several different players taking slot snaps.
It’s a more difficult task without Downs, who is coming off an impressive rookie season in 2023 and was a go-to target of Anthony Richardson’s in training camp, but the Colts will have to find added consistency in the passing game this week, particularly on the short to intermediate routes, where Downs makes his greatest impact.