Andrew Luck has officially been ruled out for the Indianapolis Colts Week One matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. General manager Scott Ballard confirmed the decision to hold the quarterback out in his weekly press conference on Monday and also said there is “no timetable” for his return. Scott Tolzien will start in his place on Sunday.
GM Chris Ballard confirms Andrew Luck will NOT play week 1. #INDvsLAR pic.twitter.com/ZOQ0YufRgy
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 4, 2017
Luck has not played in any game since Week 17 of last season and had been held out all preseason as he recovers from surgery on his right shoulder. He was removed from the PUP (physically unable to perform) list on Saturday. Had he remained on the list, the former Houston Stratford signal caller would have had to miss the first six weeks of the regular season.
Per ESPN Colts writer Mike Wells, the team wants Luck to be able to practice on a full-time basis before being able to play again. He was limited in practice time last year to at least one day a week.
Luck played in every game during his first three years in the league but has struggled to stay healthy since then, missing a combined 10 games in the last two seasons.
“I’m being a little extra conservative,” Ballard told reporters in Indianapolis on Monday. “We want to make sure when we get Andrew back, he can practice every day. We don’t want to jeopardize a little short-term (gain) here over the long haul.”
