This decision comes on the heels of Luck visiting doctors earlier this week to ask why he still had some soreness in his right shoulder, and apparently it was decision big enough for the Colts to put him on IR and end the drama surrounding when the Colts quarterback would play this season.
Chris Ballard said about the announcement, "The one thing I want y'all to understand is that there's never been once a time where I've tried to mislead, [when] this organization has tried to mislead...This whole thing has been very fluid."
Well, with the way the Colts have been stepping around this issue has been very misleading and I believe they have mislead us right from the start with this issue.
Luck did practice on October 4 for the first time since December of 2016. He only practiced once after that because the soreness became a problem again, warranting another visit with the doctors. He was then shut down and given a cortisone shot to see if the side effects would subside. They didn't and it was ultimately confirmed that Luck would need the rest of this season and the offseason to heal his shoulder. Whether or not he comes back to full strength, only time will tell.
There was no timetable on Andrew Luck's return and there was no guarantee that Luck would take part in the offseason workouts that come this spring. In the meantime, Luck will continue to rehab his shoulder and try to see if he can get out there by training camp next July, and there's no guarantee of that either.
The Colts are more than likely to miss the playoffs yet again, after missing the playoffs in 2015 and 2016, and this latest just signals the downward spiral that the Colts have been in since the Peyton Manning days. Even Andrew Luck, despite having a few good seasons, was not going to turn this around in a heartbeat and it definitely didn't lead to any Super Bowls during that time.
Coach Chuck Pagano has called the situation "unfortunate" and that "Andrew is frustrated. Andrew wants to be out there. Andrew wants to be fighting with his teammates. He's a great warrior, he's a great competitor and he's a great player, one of the best in this league."
I agree with Pagano. He is one of the best in the league when he's healthy. But he's not healthy and he's not always out there, and the Colts have faced the consequences as a result of him not being out there. I believe that if Luck has a chance in this league, he's got to be on a different team. I think the window has shut for Luck and the Colts to be there. The Colts have mismanaged this whole thing and have mislead the press and their fans at every turn. And it's not just Ballard. Jim Irsay has had a hand in this as well, and he's heading into a direction where he may be one of the worst owners in the league. He's not there yet, but he's sure in that list.
I hope Luck gets healthy and can get out there again, whether it be for the Colts or elsewhere. But I'm nervous about what's going to happen with Luck. He may not be the same quarterback again. He's had trouble with his shoulders for two seasons and when you're out for that long period of time, it's hard to come back and be the same player. I hope this happens for him and I hope he can be a great quarterback in the league again. But I think the Colts and Luck need to break this relationship and have Luck go somewhere where he can be effective and help a team out with quarterback issues. Maybe Denver. Maybe the New York Jets. Maybe Miami. Either way, it can't be with the Colts. The ship has sailed and the latest news probably proves that it's time.
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