Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano revealed on Wednesday that Andrew Luck will not return to practice this week, and it is sounding like the quarterback could still have a long way to go before he suits up for an actual game.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Chao speculated in a column for the San Diego Union-Tribune that the chances of Luck playing in October are decreasing by the day. Luck underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in January, and Chao says it always seemed like a “tight timeline” to expect him to return to practice in late-September and be ready for game action at some point in October.
Chao mentions Cam Newton, who had a more minor shoulder surgery than Luck over the offseason and still dealt with soreness during the preseason. There has been speculation that Newton is not playing at 100 percent health, which would explain his lackluster performances. The Colts want to be sure Luck is completely healed and ready to go before bringing him back.
By not placing Luck on the physically unable to perform list, the Colts were seemingly hopeful that he would be able to return by Week 6. One recent report indicated that Week 6 is still the target date, but that seems highly unlikely with Luck not even practicing yet. As Chao notes, throwing and getting up to game speed are two totally different concepts. Until Luck can practice in full, there’s no reason to think he is anywhere close to making his 2017 debut.
