INDIANAPOLIS -- In the long list of issues the Colts have to deal with, the health of quarterback Andrew Luck is the last thing they want to be worried about.
But owner Jim Irsay added it their current problems when he tweeted Thursday morning that Luck had outpatient surgery to deal with a right shoulder problem that has been lingering since the 2015 season.
Head coach and general manager uncertainty. Defensive problems. And now Luck's shoulder.
Irsay noted that Luck will be ready for the 2017 season, but he didn’t give any indication that the quarterback will be back to take part in any of the team’s offseason activities, which start in April. Backup Scott Tolzien will likely take first-team snaps with Luck not taking part in offseason workouts.
Injuries have become a legitimate issue for Luck after he was injury-free during his first three seasons in the NFL. Luck, despite taking a constant pounding, took every meaningful snap in games during that span. But his body started to break down during the 2015 season. Luck missed nine games due to a lacerated kidney, shoulder, abdominal and rib problems. He originally injured his shoulder against Tennessee in Week 3 of the 2015 season.
Luck aggravated his shoulder again when he tried to make a tackle after throwing an interception against Denver in Week 2 this season.
“There isn’t some kind of chronic shoulder injury or anything like that, I promise you,” Irsay said Oct. 1, the day before they played Jacksonville in London. “There are no surgeries planned. He is fine and the shoulder is something that just disappears into the woodwork when he wins his next MVP or when he wins a Super Bowl.”
Irsay didn’t sound happy that Luck tried to tackle Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib instead of backing away from the play. He'd rather his quarterback avoid contact instead of embracing it.
“Look, he throws the interception, he’s mad, I know,” Irsay said in London. “Do what Peyton did. Do a little fox trot and you don’t embarrass yourself. But you stay out of the fray. You don’t see Aaron Rodgers [do it]. You don’t see quarterbacks get involved in those types of frays. That’s when tough things happen.”
Irsay knows Luck’s value. He knows his franchise has very little chance of winning if Luck is on the sideline in street clothes.
The surgery explains why the $140 million quarterback was listed on the team’s injury report every week during the season. And why Luck was routinely limited in practice on Thursday. His practice often consisted of handing the ball off to the running backs. Luck and the Colts referred to his shoulder situation as maintenance throughout the season.
Despite the shoulder problem, Luck, who played in 15 of 16 games, still threw for 4,374 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing a career-high 63.5 percent of his passes.
The Colts are coming off back-to-back 8-8 seasons. They need a healthy Luck who is capable of practicing every day and playing in every game in order to get back on track.