INDIANAPOLIS -- The hits keep coming for the Indianapolis Colts going into Sunday's key AFC South game against the Tennessee Titans.
The Colts have placed starting running back Jonathan Taylor on the reserve/COVID-19 list, meaning he'll miss the game against the Titans. The team also announced that starting center Ryan Kelly has been downgraded to out for the game due to a neck injury.
Taylor joins starting defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and Denico Autry on the COVID list. A player who tests positive for COVID-19 can't return to the team until at least 10 days after the start of symptoms, plus at least 24 hours after symptoms have passed, according to league rules.
Since Friday, the Colts have now announced that five starters will be out for the game against the Titans. Linebacker Bobby Okereke is out due to an ankle injury.
Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines will be the primary running backs replacing Taylor, who has rushed for a team-high 518 yards and four touchdowns this season. Rookie Danny Pinter will start at center in place of Kelly.
Without Buckner, Autry and Okereke, the Colts will be missing a combined 119 tackles, 8.5 sacks and an interception from their No. 2-ranked defense against the Titans.
The Colts and Titans have identical 7-3 records, but Indianapolis would own the tiebreaker by virtue of a season sweep with a victory on Sunday. Now the Colts have to try to figure out a way to slow down Titans running back Derrick Henry, who is the only running back to rush for at least 100 yards against the Colts in the past two seasons.
Henry has surpassed the 100-yard mark in each of the past two meetings against Indianapolis.
Zaire Franklin will likely get an increase in snaps at linebacker in Okereke's absence, and Tyquan Lewis and Grover Stewart will get more playing time on the defensive line.
"It's next man up," linebacker Darius Leonard said Friday. "It's not one guy. It's 11 guys."
The Colts have added center Joey Hunt and defensive end Cassius Marsh to the active roster from the practice squad as COVID-19 replacements. They also elevated defensive tackles Kameron Cline and Rob Windsor to the active roster from the practice squad and activated receiver Ashton Dulin from the injured reserve list to be bring their active roster to 55 players.