Earlier on Monday, the Indianapolis Colts ruled quarterback Andrew Luck out for their Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams. It wasn’t a major surprise, especially considering Luck himself has not practiced since undergoing off-season shoulder surgery.
Being without Luck for one game isn’t necessarily a season-ender. Having to start either Scott Tolzien or the recently acquired Jacoby Brissett over the long term surely would be.
Unfortunately, it looks like Luck won’t be returning to the field any time soon. According to ESPN’s Mike Wells, there’s still no timeline for Luck to return to practice.
Not only will Andrew Luck not play against the Rams, but there's still no timetable on when the quarterback will practice.
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) September 4, 2017
That’s most definitely an ominous development. In order for Luck to actually take the field for live-game action, he would have to get at least a week of practice in, if not more. If there’s no timeline for him to practice, this means it could be a long-term injury.
For his part, Colts general manager Chris Ballard did not sound too optimistic on Monday when announcing Luck would sit Week 1.
“Still no timetable,” Ballard said, via the team’s official website. “He’s in the training phase right now, he’s done excellent with his rehab, and we’ll continue to take it week-to-week. He’ll be out this week vs. the Rams, but we’ll still take it week-to-week.”
With Luck out of action against a stout Rams defense, the Colts will be forced to start Tolzien. That’s definitely not an ideal scenario for a team that’s likely going to struggle in the suddenly competitive AFC South this season.