The Colts said Andrew Luck would be ready for the start of the 2017 season, but their only hope now is that they were just off by a year on a prediction that missed the mark by a wide margin.
Luck wasn’t ready for the start of the season after having surgery on his right shoulder this offseason, he wasn’t ready to play at any point in the first eight weeks of the season and he won’t be ready to play at any point in the final nine weeks.
The Colts announced on Thursday that Luck is going on injured reserve, which means he won’t be practicing or playing for the rest of the season. Now that the waiting game of many months has come to an end, the quarterback told the team’s website that he’s shifting his focus to 2018 and beyond.
“I wish I was better and 100 percent this season, but that’s not the case,” Luck said. “I know I’ll be better from this. I know I’ll be a better quarterback, teammate, person and player from this, and I’m excited for the future.”
This development seemed inevitable when Luck’s return to practice was put to an end after a few days because the quarterback was having discomfort in his shoulder. He’s since gone to see other doctors in an ultimately futile search of an answer that might get him on the field this year.
Jacoby Brissett has been starting since Week Two and will likely continue to hold down the job as long as he’s healthy.