Andrew Luck has missed eight games this season with various injuries, and one that he reportedly suffered earlier in the season was worse than most people knew.
Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star reports that Luck suffered torn cartilage on two of his ribs back in Week 3 and was in “significant pain” when he returned to play four games in late October and early November. The Colts quarterback reportedly needed pain-killing injections to be able to play and was hampered by the injury.
A previous report indicated that Luck had been playing through fractured ribs.
The rib injury is different from the lacerated kidney Luck has been dealing with and the shoulder ailment he had. Doctors have compared Luck’s abdominal injuries to those typically suffered by car crash victims. You can see a video of the brutal hit he took in Week 9 here.
The Colts never listed Luck on any injury report with a rib injury, so they would have committed a violation by not disclosing it if it turns out the reports are accurate. Colts GM Ryan Grigson said the team’s injury reports are all “accurate” after rumors first surfaced that Luck was playing through a rib injury.
Luck would have landed on injured reserve by now if the Colts didn’t have an outside chance of making the playoffs. They need to win Sunday and have eight other games go there way, so it’s likely that Luck’s disappointing 2015 season has already come to a close.
