A calf injury kept Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner off the field for much of the seven-game losing streak that ended the 2025 season, so his appearance on Wednesday’s injury report with another calf injury conjures up some bad memories.

Gardner was injured early in the second half of last Sunday’s loss to the Titans and he missed practice on Wednesday, but he tried to offer some reassurance while speaking to reporters. Gardner said the injury is in a different spot and is “much more minor” than the previous one.

“I’m not really concerned,” Gardner said, via the team’s website. “I trust our training staff here, and like I said, it’s not as bad as last year. I’m just happy that it’s not the same spot.”

Gardner missed practice a couple of days after General Manager Chris Ballard’s firing and moving two first-round picks in a trade for the cornerback has come up often as people recount Ballard’s missteps. The deal will only look worse if the Colts wind up at the bottom of the league and that’s a more likely outcome if Gardner is forced to the sideline for any significant amount of time.