Andrew Luck out for the season as Colts place him on injured reserve

Jay Busbee
· Senior writer

The Indianapolis Colts have placed star quarterback Andrew Luck on injured reserve, effectively ending his season before it even began.

Luck, who underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder in January, was placed on injured reserve, which prevents him from playing, or even practicing, for the remainder of the 2017 season.

“I wish I was better and 100 percent this season, but that’s not the case,” Luck said in a statement. “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.”

Andrew Luck won’t be seeing the field in 2017. (AP)
Andrew Luck won’t be seeing the field in 2017. (AP)

Luck, the first overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft, was projected as a seamless transition from the Peyton Manning-era Colts, but it hasn’t worked out that way. While Luck took the Colts as far as the 2014 season’s AFC championship game (they lost to the New England Patriots in a game that involved some possibly deflated balls; you might have heard something about it), injuries began cropping up.

He missed two games in 2015 due to a shoulder injury, and was lost for the season after lacerating a kidney and tearing an abdominal muscle early in November. He signed a then-record $140 million deal in the summer of 2016, and appeared to be returning to form. But he underwent surgery on his right shoulder in January, and was unable to do any more than the most basic practice roles in October.

Given the woeful state of the Colts as a team, this appears to be a prudent move with an eye to the future.

More NFL on Yahoo Sports

____
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.