Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is considered week-to-week with a right shoulder injury he sustained in his team’s loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, a league source told The Athletic. Downs’ availability for next week’s game at New England is in question, though the belief is that he did not suffer a severe injury.
Downs injured his shoulder while being tackled on a 7-yard reception with about 11 minutes left in Sunday’s game. His right shoulder appeared to be driven into the turf as Lions linebackers Malcolm Rodriguez and David Long Jr. took him to the ground. Downs immediately grabbed at his right shoulder and stayed down before eventually getting up and walking off the field. He reentered the game on the Colts’ next series, and played 29 of a possible 55 offensive snaps.
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Indianapolis could choose to be cautious with Downs since it only has one game left before its bye week.
If Downs is held out against the Patriots, it would be a significant blow to the Colts’ offense. The second-year pro missed the first two games of the season due to a right high ankle sprain, but he still leads Indianapolis in targets (78), catches (53), first-down receptions (31) and receiving yards per game (59.4). Downs is also tied with fellow wideout Alec Pierce for the team-high in receiving touchdowns (four).
Pierce got banged up as well in the second half of Sunday’s contest. He had his right ankle re-taped by trainers on the sideline, and walked gingerly in the locker room after the game. Despite his gait, Pierce is “good,” a league source told The Athletic, and there’s no reason to be overly concerned about his status moving forward. Pierce is averaging a league-high 23.3 yards per catch this season.
NFL Network first reported the news of Downs’ shoulder injury.
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