Andrew Luck has not practiced with the Indianapolis Colts since undergoing offseason surgery to repair damage that he suffered way back in 2015. He’s still on the PUP list, and head coach Chuck Pagano recently said there still is no timeline for Luck to return to action.
This has led to reports that Luck could very well start the season on the PUP list. If that were to happen, then Luck would miss at least the first six games of the season.
However, Colts rookie general manager has maintained all along that Luck won’t start the season on the PUP list.
Then on Sunday as the Colts hosted the Detroit Lions for their first preseason game, he made another comment that suggests he expects Luck back sooner, rather than later. It was a comment that led Colts beat writer Stephen Holder to speculate that Luck is already throwing, which is something the team has yet to confirm.
Ballard cont'd: "at any point last season." Remember, Luck played through partially torn labrum in '16. Personally, I think he's throwing.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) August 13, 2017
Based on what we saw from Indianapolis on Sunday, the Colts can’t get Andrew Luck back onto the field fast enough. At least, as it pertains to winning games anyway.
On the flip side, an argument could be made that rushing Luck back would ultimately lead to his destruction. Indy’s offensive line, which has been awful in recent years, was just disgustingly bad Sunday.
As we’ve done since January, we’re going to keep a close eye on how things develop for Luck going forward. If the Colts have any chance at making the playoffs, then Luck has to be healthy. Period.