Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs had to be helped off the field during Wednesday’s training camp practice at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield.
The shifty slot receiver suffered the injury during a 7-on-7 drill when he was tackled to the ground by safety Nick Cross — something that’s typically avoided in training camp practices.
Downs had to be helped off the field by the training staff and couldn’t put much weight on his left leg.
Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters after Wednesday’s practice that Downs is dealing with an ankle injury.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Downs suffered a high-ankle sprain is expected to miss about a month.
As for the action of Cross taking Downs to the ground in a 7-on-7 drill, Steichen certainly wasn’t happy about it.
“We’ve got to be smart. We are competing like crazy, but we’ve got to stay off the ground and can’t go down,” Steichen said.
Downs, a third-round pick in 2023, had a promising rookie season that resulted in 68 receptions for 771 yards and two touchdowns. He dealt with a knee injury halfway through his rookie season that hindered the second half of his campaign.
If the injury isn’t long-term, the North Carolina product is expected to be the starting slot receiver with Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell working on the outside.
With the Colts preparing for the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Aug. 11, it seems unlikely Downs will be among those playing in the opener even if he can.
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