Colts coach Shane Steichen said Sunday he is hopeful that Downs (ankle) will be available for the start of the regular season, but his timeline for a return is still unclear, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Downs has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain during practice Aug. 7. While he shed his walking boot last Thursday, the 23-year-old still seems to have some way to go before Indianapolis' season opener versus Houston on Sunday, Sept. 8. Downs is coming off a breakout rookie season with 68 catches for 771 yards across 17 regular-season games. Should Downs miss time, then Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce will be next in line to play alongside top wideout Michael Pittman.