Colts rule out WR Ashton Dulin, DE Arden Key and LB Jaylon Carlies for Week 5 vs. Steelers

The Indianapolis Colts will enter their Week 5 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers without wide receiver Ashton Dulin, defensive end Arden Key and linebacker Jaylon Carlies, head coach Shane Steichen announced Friday. The team ruled all three players out due to injury, meaning Indianapolis will have to adjust its offense and defense with limited work during the week.

According to the Colts, Dulin is sidelined with a hamstring injury. The team also noted that he has not participated in practice this week, and that Sunday will mark the third game he has missed this season because of injury. For a Colts receiving group that has relied on continuity and timing, the absence of Dulin means more snaps for backups and changes to the rotation at receiver.

Key, meanwhile, is also listed with a hamstring injury and did not practice during the week, as Indianapolis will again be without one of its defensive front players. The Colts’ pass-rush plan against Pittsburgh will now place additional responsibility on the remaining defensive ends and interior options to generate pressure without Key’s contributions off the edge.

Carlies’ status is different in location but similar in the timetable. The linebacker is ruled out with a ribs issue, and the team said he has also missed practice this week. With Carlies unavailable, Indianapolis will likely reshuffle its second-level coverage and run-defense assignments, particularly in passing situations where linebackers are central to reads and route matching.

The injury designations also carry implications for how the Colts manage their week-to-week depth. When multiple players miss practice time simultaneously, it typically compresses reps for the players who are preparing to start or handle expanded roles on game day. That can affect everything from coverage communication to situational substitutions, especially in the middle of the season when teams face consistent tempo changes and personnel packages.

For the Steelers, the timing is notable because Pittsburgh will still need to respect Indianapolis’ offensive identity and defensive structure, even as the Colts proceed with personnel adjustments. Still, knowing that Dulin, Key and Carlies are not available gives Pittsburgh an added element of preparation, since it can plan for matchups and game plans that do not account for those specific players’ Week 5 participation.

Individually, the Colts will be watching how their remaining receiving options compensate for Dulin’s absence, how the defensive front replaces Key’s edge presence, and how the linebacker unit fills the void created by Carlies’ ribs injury. The most immediate question for Indianapolis is whether additional players will be forced into roles before they have had full practice reps, and how quickly the unit can synchronize once the game starts.

With Week 5 now set, attention turns to whether any of the three ruled-out players can return for the following week. In the short term, the Colts’ focus will be on stabilizing their lineups and minimizing the ripple effects that come from missing multiple starters who did not practice during the same week. The outcome against Pittsburgh will likely reflect how well Indianapolis adapts under those constraints.