Colts & Andrew Luck Believe He’ll Be Ready For 2018 Season

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, no one really knows what will happen with Colts QB Andrew Luck next.

Rapoport reports that Luck saw between 4-5 doctors regarding his shoulder issues including the doctor who performed the original shoulder surgery. Sources tell Rapoport that the consensus among the doctors was that Luck should stop throwing for 2-3 months and allow the injury to heal on its own.

As of now, there has been no recommendation for Luck to undergo another surgery, according to Rapoport. Although, it’s possible that surgery could be an option to fix some of the other issues if needed.

Luck was reportedly told that playing through a labrum tear for two years messed up his shoulder and caused other issues while also messing with his throwing mechanics.

Rapoport adds that all parties still believe Luck will be ready for the 2018 offseason.

The Colts officially placed Luck on injured reserve last week.

Luck said Thursday that he’s “very optimistic” about his future, despite the disappointing news that he won’t play at all this season.

“I wish I was better and 100 percent this season, but that’s not the case,” Luck said. “I know I’ll be better from this. I know I’ll be a better quarterback, teammate, person and player from this, and I’m excited for the future.”

It was clear that Luck was likely done for the year after he suffered a setback in his return from shoulder surgery a few weeks ago. The Colts were holding out hope of a late-season return, but there’s really no point in taking any more chances with the team’s franchise quarterback.

Former NFL physician David Chao recently mentioned that while there appears no indication that Luck’s shoulder issues are career-ending, his long-term future is “certainly a concern.”

Chao points out that Luck is already well behind the six-to-nine-month recovery timeline for posterior labral repair after he underwent the procedure back in January.

Chao believes Luck’s 2017 season is already and he wouldn’t be surprised if Luck underwent arthroscopic surgery in the coming months to more precisely determine what the issue is with his throwing shoulder.

“If multiple specialists can’t agree, then looking inside with a scope can provide the assurance that is needed,” Chao writes. “And if there is something structurally wrong, the sooner that is discovered and fixed, the better, lest it starts to impact next season.”

Luck, 27, is a former first-round pick of the Colts back in 2012. He’s currently in the second year of his six-year, $139.125 million contract that includes $87 million guaranteed and is set to make a base salary of $12 million for the 2016 season.

In 2016, Luck appeared in 15 games and thrown for 4,240 yards while completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 4 quarterback out of 36 qualifying players.

We’ll have more regarding Luck’s return as the news is available.