Colts place QB Luck on injured reserve

Andrew Luck’s season is over before it officially began.

The Indianapolis Colts announced Thursday that they placed the quarterback on injured reserve.

Luck has been sidelined due to soreness in his surgically repaired right shoulder. The soreness prompted the team to shut down the 28-year-old two weeks ago after he finally returned to practice on Oct. 4.

“The shoulder is subjective and after a surgery everybody is different. Everybody rehabs in a different way,” general manager Chris Ballard told reporters. “So we’re going to shut his throwing down and continue rehab. We’re going to continue hard rehab. We think for the long-term interest of Andrew, this is the best course of action.”

Luck lamented the end result of what is now a lost season for him.

“I wish I was better and 100 percent this season, but that’s not the case,” Luck said, via the team website. “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.”

Luck, who has not taken a snap in a game since Week 17 last season, underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum on Jan. 15.

“He was frustrated. He’s a competitive guy, he knows the impact he has on a Sunday,” Ballard said. “He’s a difference-maker. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so he’s frustrated.”

Ballard dismissed any notion that Luck’s career is in jeopardy, however.

“I’ve heard all kinds of rumors of career ending — that’s not the case here. I have not gotten that from one doctor,” Ballard said. “Career-ending is putting him out on the field before he’s ready to play — that is where you should be concerned. We’re doing everything we can as an organization to give Andrew a chance and Andrew is doing everything he can to have a chance to have a long-term career. That’s what he plans on doing and that’s what we plan on him doing.”

Luck was coming off perhaps his best overall performance in his six-year NFL career after playing in just seven games in 2015 due to a variety of injuries that included an abdominal muscle tear. In 2016, he completed 346 of 545 passes (63.5 percent) for 4,240 yards with 31 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, and also ran 64 times for 341 yards with two more scores.

For his career, Luck — the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 and a three-time Pro Bowler — has completed 1,570 of 2,651 passes (59.2 percent) for 19,078 yards with 132 touchdowns to 68 interceptions, and has 286 rushing attempts for 1,442 yards and 14 more TDs.

The Colts, who are just 2-6 without Luck, have seen second-year passer Jacoby Brissett start the past seven games.