Andrew Luck is finally going to play a game for the Colts

Colts fans have finally received the news they’ve been craving for over a year: Andrew Luck is ready to play in the team’s first preseason game.

There’s usually not a lot to get excited about during a team’s first preseason game. It’s nice that football is back in your life, but the game itself is generally pretty bland. You’ll have to forgive Colts fans if they feel differently about their preseason opener at Seattle.

According to head coach Frank Reich, Aug. 9 will be the day Andrew Luck returns to the field for Indianapolis. That news should cause a sigh of relief throughout the state of Indiana. Colts fans were given a lot of false hope about Luck’s potential return date last season, but this is the most concrete, positive information they’ve received on their star quarterback in quite some time.

Don’t expect to see Luck play a lot or do very much about the Seahawks, but that’s not the point. The team’s willingness to trot him out there against a live opponent is the real story here. It means that he’s shown them enough ability in training camp for them to accelerate his recovery. Specifically, it greatly increases the chances that Luck will be the Colts’ starter when the regular season begins.

Luck, of course, hasn’t played an NFL game since 2016. As recently as a few weeks ago, he was reportedly struggling to throw an NFL-sized football, instead opting to work on his arm strength with a college ball. The news that he’s ready to play in a preseason game is both surprising and exciting.

There’s still a long way to go to get Luck ready to play in a meaningful game, but it’s hard not to see his potential involvement in the team’s first preseason game as a hugely positive sign. It seems possible the Colts might get the real Andrew Luck back sometime this season. That gives the team a chance to be competitive no matter how many holes they have elsewhere on the roster. If he’s healthy, Luck is just that good.