Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor intends to use Thursday night’s pregame warmups as a test to see if he can play against Denver despite an ankle injury.

The news was worse for three-time All Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard. In addition to the concussion keeping him out this week, Leonard may miss even more time with a fractured nose.

“I’m going to use as much time as I can in order to get treatment and get feeling as well as possible before trying to make any decisions, and I think that’s critical on a short week,” Taylor said Tuesday. “So just trying to push as much treatment as I can.”

Taylor, last year’s NFL rushing champ doesn’t miss much time. Until the Colts (1-2-1) held him out of offseason workouts this spring, Taylor couldn’t remember the last time he missed a practice. Then last week, an injured toe limited his participation in practice.

But while at Wisconsin, he played in 41 straight games and logged more than 900 carries and 6,100 yards. And four weeks into his third season with the Colts, Taylor has missed only one game, when he deemed a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

STEELERS: Mike Tomlin never had a definitive timeline on when to hand the keys to the offense to Kenny Pickett.

If anything, Tomlin wanted to delay a move that seemed inevitable from the moment the Steelers drafted Pickett with the 20th overall pick six months ago. Asked as recently as a week ago how he would know it’s time, Tomlin shrugged and said simply “you just kind of know when you’re there.”

The Steelers, off to a 1-3 start heading into the most daunting stretch of their season, are there. The Pickett era is officially underway in Pittsburgh. The rookie quarterback will make his first start on Sunday when the Steelers visit Buffalo (3-1), a decision Tomlin made because he feels it gives his team its best chance to win, not only this weekend but down the road.

“He’s a young guy, he’s going to grow throughout this process,” Tomlin said. “But make no mistake about it, we’re not grading him on a curve. He’s not grading himself on a curve. There’s an expectation of quality play and playing to win.”

BROWNS: Cleveland rookie running back Jerome Ford was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after injuring his ankle in Sunday’s loss to Atlanta.

A fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, Ford has been returning kickoffs for the Browns (2-2), who lost return specialist Jakeem Grant Sr. to a season-ending Achilles injury during training camp. Ford averaged 24.2 yards on six returns, with a long of 44 yards.

BRONCOS: Denver have signed veteran running back Latavius Murray off the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad and placed dynamic second-year rusher Javonte Williams on IR with a season-ending torn ACL.

The Broncos also placed outside linebacker Randy Gregory on IR. He needs knee surgery and will miss at least a month and maybe longer.

Murray is a 10th-year pro who has appeared in 128 career NFL games with the Raiders, Vikings, Ravens and Saints.

He ran 11 times for 57 yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ 28-25 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday.

Williams tore his right ACL and LCL on his first second-half carry Sunday in the Broncos’ 32-23 loss at Las Vegas.

COWBOYS: Long snapper Jake McQuaide is out for the season after tearing a triceps muscle against Washington, the team reported on its website.

The injury happened on McQuaide’s final snap of the game, which was a punt late in the fourth quarter of Dallas’ 25-10 victory, the team said. The Cowboys were working out replacements Tuesday.

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