SAN DIEGO -- Quentin Jammer's streak of consecutive starts is about to end.

The Chargers cornerback said Friday that he will miss Sunday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts because of his ailing hamstring injury. That will end a streak of 72 consecutive starts.

"At my position, I have to be able to run and be able to keep up with guys who run 4.3s and 4.4s (over 40 yards)," Jammer said. "Without that hammy, you can't do that. I need to get it better."

Jammer injured the hamstring against Houston on Oct. 28 and aggravated it during last Sunday's game against Minnesota.

The team listed Jammer as doubtful on Friday's injury report. But Jammer said he won't be in uniform Sunday.

"I'm going to have to be smart about the injury," Jammer said. "I feel I could probably go, but I felt like I could go last week and it ended up catching again and set me down for another week. I don't want that to keep happening.

"I'd rather just go ahead and get ready for Jacksonville (on Nov. 18) than risk an injury that's going to put me out for two, three, maybe seven weeks."

Jammer, a six-year veteran, has started every Chargers game dating back to the opening week of the 2003 season.

"I don't really think about streaks of games," Jammer said. "The thing that keeps me going is my love for this game. That's the only thing that kept me playing injured and playing through some pain. I just love to be out there."

Second-year player Antonio Cromartie will draw his first career start in place of Jammer.

"What it means is Cromartie is going to start and play and play a whole game and play on third downs and do all the things he's done," coach Norv Turner said. "And he's ready to do it."