Colts QB Andrew Luck Won't Participate in Minicamp Because of Calf Injury
June 11, 2019
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck won't take part in mandatory minicamp this week due to a calf injury.
Per Fox59 and CBS 4's Mike Chappell, head coach Frank Reich said the team wants to give Luck extended time off to ensure he's fully healthy.
After making it through his first three seasons in the NFL without missing a game, Luck has had to deal with a number of injuries in recent years. He was limited to seven games in 2015 due to shoulder and abdominal injuries. He then missed the entire 2017 campaign after a shoulder injury lingered following an offseason procedure.
The 29-year-old was held out of organized team activities in May due to a calf strain. The Colts opened mandatory veteran minicamp on Tuesday.
Despite not being on the field, Luck told reporters he's been able to throw "significantly" throughout the offseason.
In his first season post-shoulder surgery, Luck put together one of his finest performances to date. He completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 4,593 yards, 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while leading the Colts to a wild-card berth at 10-6. His passing yards and touchdowns were each the second-best totals of his career, as he threw for 4,761 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2015.
Luck led Indianapolis to a first-round victory over the Houston Texans in the wild card round before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round.
As Luck had been sacked 156 times through the first five years of his career, the Colts have made upgrading their offensive line a priority. They used the sixth overall pick last year on guard Quenton Nelson and a third-rounder on Braden Smith, while also signing veteran Matt Slauson (who retired in February) in free agency. With a revamped offensive line, Luck was sacked only 18 times in 2018.
Now, though, he is once again dealing with an injury.
Indianapolis' quarterback depth chart also features Jacoby Brissett, who went 4-11 as the starter in 2017 while filling in for Luck.
After the Colts complete minicamp this week, they will reconvene in July for training camp. Their first preseason game will be on Aug. 8 at New Era Field against the Buffalo Bills.