Colts’ Luck likely gone for season

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will be placed on injured reserve, likely ending his NFL season.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard made the announcement on Thursday.

“We’re going to shut his throwing down and we’re going to continue rehab, hard rehab,” Ballard said. It’s hardly a surprise. Since undergoing surgery in January for a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, the star quarterback missed all of Indy’s off-season workouts, all of training camp, the entire preseason and will miss his ninth straight regular-season game Sunday at Houston.

Luck didn’t even start throwing to teammates until early October and was shut down two weeks later after complaining of soreness in his right shoulder.

So with the Colts (2-6) struggling, their playoff hopes fading fast and Luck apparently not close to 100 per cent, Indianapolis has pulled the plug.

“He was frustrated. He’s a competitive guy, he knows the impact he has on a Sunday,” Ballard said. “He’s a differencemaker. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so he’s frustrated.”

Ballard said Luck will do his rehab at a couple of different places and is expected to be in and out of the team complex and that they will take a different approach with rehab for his strength.

Ballard said the Colts have to be patient in letting Luck work through this.

As for putting his career in jeopardy, Ballard said: “I’m not getting career-ending from anybody. What we’re getting is: ‘Be patient.’ Career-ending is putting him on the field before he’s ready to play.”

If Luck is ready to go for the 2018 season opener, Luck would go more than 20 months between taking regular-season snaps.