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Bobby Okereke, Ryan Kelly Ruled Out Sunday Against The Titans; Denico Autry, DeForest Buckner, Jonathan Taylor Also To Miss Game; Six Questionable

The Indianapolis Colts have ruled out two players — linebacker Bobby Okereke and center Ryan Kelly — for Sunday’s Week 12 matchup against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium, while defensive tackle/end Denico Autry, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and running back Jonathan Taylor, all of whom are on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, will also miss the game.

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(UPDATED to reflect moves made on Nov. 28)

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have ruled out two players — linebacker Bobby Okereke and center Ryan Kelly — for Sunday's Week 12 matchup against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium, while defensive tackle/end Denico Autry, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and running back Jonathan Taylor, all of whom are on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, will also miss the game.

Six Colts players are also ruled questionable: guard Quenton Nelson, wide receiver Zach Pascal, quarterback Philip Rivers, cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, linebacker Anthony Walker and safety Khari Willis.

RULED OUT

» Okereke sat out Wednesday's practice with an ankle injury, and had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to have been a non-participant in that day's session, too. The second-year linebacker has played in all 10 games this season with six starts, and has 52 total tackles, one interception and four passes defensed. With Okereke ruled out Sunday, then the Colts could elect to add a little more to fellow starter Anthony Walker's plate, while Zaire Franklin, Matthew Adams, E.J. Speed and Jordan Glasgow will also be ready to go at the linebacker position if needed.

» Kelly sat out Wednesday's practice with a neck injury, and had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to have sat out that day's session, too, before being a non-participant on Friday. The Pro Bowl center has played in all 10 games for the Colts this season, and has missed just seven offensive snaps to this point. With Kelly out Sunday vs. the Titans, 2020 fifth-round pick Danny Pinter will likely step in at the center position; Pinter has played 27 offensive snaps this season at center (seven snaps), as an inline tight end (19 snaps) and at fullback (one snap). The Colts also have veteran center Joey Hunt, a COVID-19 replacement for defensive tackle/end Denico Autry, currently available on their active roster, while guard Jake Eldrenkamp, who can play center if needed, is also available on the practice squad.

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RESERVE/COVID-19 LIST

» Buckner was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday. With Denico Autry, another starter along the defensive line, also currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Colts will likely turn to third-year defensive tackle/end Tyquan Lewis to take over at the three-technique spot. Lewis, one of the Colts' four second-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, has a career-high 16 tackles (six for a loss) and 3.5 sacks on the year, despite playing just more than 33 percent of the team's defensive snaps; he also has four quarterback hits and a pass defensed. Grover Stewart, the Colts' starting one-tech, and Taylor Stallworth are the other interior defensive linemen currently on the active roster; the team on Saturday also elevated defensive tackles Kameron Cline and Rob Windsor to the active roster from the practice squad for Sunday's game, while defensive end Cassius Marsh was brought back to the active roster as a COVID replacement for Buckner. Windsor, the 2020 sixth-round pick out of Penn State, was elevated to the active roster last Sunday against the Packers and ended up making his NFL debut, earning his first-career tackle in two total defensive snaps; Marsh, meanwhile, has been active the last two weeks as a key piece of depth at defensive end and a standout contributor on special teams.

» Taylor was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, meaning the Colts will roll with two running backs — Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins — on Sunday against the Titans.

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QUESTIONABLE

» Nelson sat out Wednesday's practice with back and ankle injuries, and had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to have sat out that day's session too, and was limited on Friday. The All-Pro left guard is yet to miss a game so far now in his third NFL season, and this year has played 690 of a possible 696 offensive snaps (99.1 percent). If Nelson is limited or can't play Sunday against the Titans, then Chaz Green, Danny Pinter or Le'Raven Clark could take over at left guard for the Colts, who also have guard Jake Eldrenkamp on their practice squad if needed.sat out Wednesday's practice with back and ankle injuries, and had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to have sat out that day's session too. The All-Pro left guard is yet to miss a game so far now in his third NFL season, and this year has played 690 of a possible 696 offensive snaps (99.1 percent). If Nelson is limited or can't play Sunday against the Titans, then Chaz Green, Danny Pinter or Le'Raven Clark could take over at left guard for the Colts, who also have guard Jake Eldrenkamp on their practice squad if needed.

» Pascal was a non-participant in Wednesday's practice with knee and foot injuries, and had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to have sat out that day's session, too, and was limited on Friday. The third-year wideout leads the Colts with 384 receiving yards, with 31 total receptions and two touchdowns to his credit. If Pascal is limited or can't play Sunday against the Titans, then Michael Pittman Jr., Marcus Johnson and DeMichael Harris could all be counted on to play even bigger roles, as could Dezmon Patmon, who has been a healthy scratch all 10 games this season. The Colts also have wide receiver Daurice Fountain on their practice squad if needed, while Ashton Dulin could also possibly be brought back to the active roster from injured reserve at any point over the next couple weeks.

» Rivers suffered a toe injury in the third quarter of last Sunday's Week 11 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers; he missed a couple offensive snaps but was able to return to the ballgame. In all, Rivers played 77 offensive snaps and completed 24-of-36 passes for 288 yards with three touchdowns to one interception. Rivers sat out Wednesday's practice, and had the team held practice Thursday, he was estimated to have missed that day's session, too, but the 17-year veteran quarterback, who has the league's longest active consecutive starts streak, was limited in Friday's practice. If Rivers is limited in any fashion or can't play against the Titans, then backup Jacoby Brissett will be counted on to step in and lead the offense; the team also has a third quarterback, rookie Jacob Eason, on its active roster if needed.

» Rodgers initially appeared on the injury report last Friday with a knee issue; he was labeled as questionable for last Sunday's Week 11 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, and ended up being inactive for the ballgame. The 2020 sixth-round pick out of UMass was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, and had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to be a full participant in that day's session, too; he was also a full participant on Friday, but was downgraded to questionable for the game on Saturday. If Rodgers is limited or ends up missing his second straight game on Sunday, the team could once again turn to fellow cornerback Tremon Smith to handle his duties as the primary kickoff returner; Smith had three kickoff returns for 73 yards (24.3 avg.), including a 33-yard return at the end of the second half, last Sunday against the Packers.

» Walker suffered an injury to his ribs late in the Colts' Week 11 win over the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. He was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, however, and had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to have been a full participant in that day's session, too; he was a full participant on Friday, as well. If Walker is limited or can't play Sunday against the Titans, then Zaire Franklin could be counted on to step up into a major role at linebacker; others who provide terrific depth at the position include Matthew Adams, E.J. Speed and Jordan Glasgow.

» Willis did not participate in Wednesday's practice due to injuries to his ribs and shoulder; had the team held practice on Thursday, he was estimated to have missed that day's session, as well, and was a full participant on Friday. Willis has played in, and started, all 10 games for the Colts this season, and has 48 tackles with one sack, one interception and two passes defensed. If Willis is limited or can't play Sunday against the Titans, then, depending on his status, George Odum and also Tavon Wilson will be counted on to step up at the safety position. The Colts also have six-year veteran safety Ibraheim Campbell on their practice squad if needed.

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Injury report

Here is Friday's practice report, with their designation for Sunday's game (if applicable):

Table inside Article
Player Position Injury Wednesday Thursdsay Friday Game Status
Julian Blackmon S Illness DNP FP FP —
Justin Houston DE Not Injury Related DNP FP FP —
Ryan Kelly C Neck DNP DNP DNP Out
Quenton Nelson G Back/Ankle DNP DNP LP Questionable
Bobby Okereke LB Ankle DNP DNP DNP Out
Zach Pascal WR Knee/Foot DNP DNP LP Questionable
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP DNP LP Questionable
Khari Willis S Ribs/Shoulder DNP DNP FP Questionable
Rock Ya-Sin CB Illness DNP FP FP —
Isaiah Rodgers CB Knee FP FP FP Questionable
Braden Smith T Thumb FP FP FP —
Noah Togiai TE Knee FP FP FP —
Anthony Walker LB Ribs FP FP FP Questionable
George Odum S Knee — — DNP —
Jonathan Taylor* RB Not Injury Related — — LP N/A

The Colts did not practice on Thursday. Thursday's practice report is only an estimation of a player's participation if there was a practice.

* Taylor was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.

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