Is Andrew Luck really in danger of never playing again?
Andrew Luck will miss the entire 2017 season, but speculation suggests he may be out much longer.
After some early optimism he would be ready for Week 1, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was finally able to return to practice. But setbacks took him back off the practice field, and Luck was declared out for the season last week.
Luck’s right shoulder reportedly stopped improving, though there have been no real indications the injury is career-threatening. But on the heels of Tony Dungy letting the cat out of the bag regarding Colts owner Jim Irsay suggesting to a group of people back in September that Luck’s injury is “in his head”, the suggestion Luck should want out of Indianapolis came out again.
Luck has four years and $84 million left on his contract. If he’s healthy, with the top of the quarterback market going up every year, Luck’s deal would not necessarily be a barrier to a trade. If the Colts want to full reset things, at 3-6 this season and headed for a top-10 pick in the 2018 draft, a move to move Luck could be on the table as he enters his age-29 season next year.
But then there’s this, from Tony Donohue of 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis.
The #Colts are at a crossroad. Im told it is very possible Andrew never plays again. The team is looking at a top 7 pick in the draft..
— Tony Donohue (@tonydindy) November 7, 2017
To be clear: People within the Colts org have legitimate concerns as to whether Andrew Luck will ever play again. Not everyone is on the same page with GM Chris Ballard when he said last week that Luck's injury wasn't career-threatening.
— Brad Wells (@BradWellsNFL) November 7, 2017
That escalated quickly, from Luck being expected to be ready for next season to the possibility he never plays again. A prolonged recovery from January shoulder surgery has always been concerning, after having played through the issue since the 2015 season, falls dangerously close to being malpractice on the team’s part. But the Colts were not well-run on the personnel side prior to switching general managers, and Irsay has a track record for misplaced public comments.
Next: NFL Quarterback Rankings: Week 10
Shoulder issues can be tricky, and Luck’s shoulder may never quite be the same. But it’s a big step to say he’ll never play again.