Joseph Addai hopes an injured hamstring won't keep him out too long.
Addai is still sore and is likely to miss Sunday's game at Green Bay, but the Colts running back, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, wouldn't say Thursday whether the muscle is torn.
"Right now, it's not feeling too good," he said. "The biggest thing is just getting it back to where it feels strong."
NFL Network's Adam Schefter, citing a team source, reported Wednesday that Addai has a slightly torn hamstring and is expected to miss two to four weeks.
Colts coach Tony Dungy questioned the severity of Addai's injury with reporters Thursday.
"I hope not," he said. "I read that yesterday, but I hadn't heard that. I've pulled muscles that kept me out a week or two. I would think a torn muscle would be a problem, but I haven't heard that, other than reading it in the paper."
Dungy has said Addai probably would be held out this weekend even if he felt good enough to play, and the Colts have already taken measures to avoid the predicament they faced against Baltimore last Sunday.
Addai left in the first quarter and did not return, and third-string running back Mike Hart left in the second quarter with a right knee injury. Hart's injury was later diagnosed as a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear, and he was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.
Dungy has said Addai's injury isn't that serious.
That will give Indianapolis more bodies, though not much more experience. Rhodes, a former 1,000-yard rusher who helped the Colts win a Super Bowl, probably will carry a heavy load. He's embracing the opportunity to make his first start with Indy since the 2006 regular-season finale.
"I don't know what's going on with Joe right now, they say he might be able to play, so I don't know," Rhodes said. "But I would relish the opportunity. Some backs can be the type of back who come in for a play here or a play there, but I'm the type of back who likes to come in and get comfortable because I'm better at the end of the game and the end of the season."
While depth at running back is clearly a big concern, it's not the Colts' only one this week.
Indy thought it had acquired some depth at defensive tackle when it traded for Buffalo's John McCargo, but the deal collapsed Wednesday when McCargo failed a physical. The Colts had already waived LaJuan Ramsey on Tuesday, and the team may not add another lineman this week.
"That's something we'll look at at the end of the week," Dungy said. "We have to clear a spot for (linebacker) Tyjuan (Hagler) anyway, that's probably what our thought is right now. But nothing is out of the realm of possibility."
Also out are starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who had surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee, and safety Bob Sanders, last year's defensive player of the year who has a high ankle sprain.
But there is some good news.
Outside linebacker Freddy Keiaho, also a starter, returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's workout with a groin injury, and Hagler, the starter at the other outside spot last season, is expected to be activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list later this week and could play Sunday.
"He did well yesterday, practiced fine and didn't seem sore today," Dungy said. "So that's a good sign."
As for Addai, it's anybody's guess.
"It's too early to say," he said. "The biggest thing is just getting it back to where it was."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
