Andrew Luck has been banged up since last season, and we are now left to wonder if the colts are scared that he will not be right for the upcoming season. I personally thought that he was going to be alright, but they did trade for Jacoby Brissett. Does that mean they want him as their longtime backup, or are they scared that they need a replacement for Luck for much of this season?
He is their long term investment
We can eliminate any rumor that the Colts want to move on from Luck because that is not true. I can assure you that for all the crazy things that Jim Irsay does, he knows that having your quarterback is a big deal.
Unitas, Manning, and Luck make up a good set of three quarterbacks for the Colts, and they know that they need to do everything that they can do to ensure that he will be able to play for a long time. Someone who is thinking they are going to cut bait is totally wrong. The problem is that Luck cannot be hurt all the time.
Can he practice?
The lack of practice is probably a concern, but I will remind you that Steve McNair once had a broken sternum and he did not practice for basically a whole season. They did just fine, and I think that someone as good as Andrew Luck could play without practice. That is not really a concern because we know how good he is. The question is whether the offensive line will hold up in front of him.
You cannot do a thing when your quarterback is getting kicked all over the field.
They are on the clock
They cannot waste the best years of their franchise quarterback, and they must be careful with him so that he is not hurt so badly that he cannot continue to play. Someone who watches the Colts play will notice that he has to scramble a lot because they force him to run.
He could hurt his knee, and he could be hit so hard that he has to leave the game. Leaving him out there makes it very easy for people to hit out of bounds, and they can get in their shots at the worst time. I believe that the Andrew Luck who stands in the pocket and never moves is the best version of this quarterback. It would be much like Peyton Manning in his prime, throwing downhill and never really taking extra steps.
They have expectations
The Colts have taught their fan base that they should be in the playoffs, and they need to keep them as happy as possible. There are many people who are not happy unless they see a deep run every year, and the Colts must ensure that they have done everything that they can to get back into contention as soon as they possibly can.
