It is officially time to panic in Indianapolis. It is also officially time to remove Colts quarterback Andrew Luck from your fantasy radar.
According to head coach Chuck Pagano, there is (STILL) no timetable for Luck to return to practice.
“We are where we are with that,” he said Tuesday, per Mike Wells of ESPN. “There’s no timeline. When they say he’s healthy and ready to go, we’ll get him out there. He’s played a lot of football.”
We are approaching mid August and the first preseason game for most teams, which is well beyond the estimated six-month return that was speculated for Luck. The 27 year-old quarterback underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder back in January. For now, Luck remains on the team’s PUP list and Scott Tolzien is team’s starter.
If Luck remains on the PUP list come Week 1 (reportedly a distinct possibility), he would have to sit out at least the first six games according to NFL rules. It is a daunting situation for the Colts, who have not had a completely healthy Luck under center since early in 2015.
As for fantasy football, Luck is scary option. He’s bound to tumble down draft boards the longer he remains uncleared to practice. At this time, he is only worth picking to stash away for later, and as long as a suitable starting quarterback is chosen beforehand.
We will stay on top of any news regarding Luck’s status for Week 1. This latest comment by Pagano unfortunately prevents us from being able to recommend Luck as a viable fantasy quarterback for the 2017 NFL season.