Colts QB Luck to play 'about a quarter' in preseason opener
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will see his first in-game action since the end of the 2016 season in Thursday's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Frank Reich confirmed.
Reich, who said last week Luck would play in the opener, said Thursday that Luck will play "about a quarter," slightly more than most starters typically play during the first week of the preseason.
"The plan is to play him a little bit more than he normally would if he'd had a normal year last year," Reich told The MMQB. "But I don't want to overreact. He'll get enough snaps in, we'll recreate enough out here in practice by the way we practice and the speed at which we practice, and all the situational stuff we practice.
"We'll build a confidence level there. And sure, he needs to get his snaps, and maybe a little bit more. But I'm not gonna be dramatic with it."
Luck, who turns 29 in September, has been brought along slowly this offseason as he recovers from an October setback following a January 2017 shoulder surgery, which ultimately kept him out of the entire 2017 season.
He has been taking regular rest days during training camp to help simulate a typical week during the season, when players usually don't practice on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Barring a setback, he is fully expected to be ready for the Colts' regular-season opener Sept. 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
On Friday, Colts owner Jim Irsay voiced his confidence in Luck, saying he thinks the QB will put his name among the very best as his career goes on.
"I think he has a chance to be one of the greatest players to play the game going forward," Irsay said during the team's Friday night practice. "Turning 29 during the season and moving forward for the next 10 years, I really do. He is a special guy in a number of ways.
"...Colts fans should feel fortunate they are to have a guy as gifted as he is because he has a fire burning deep in his heart and his soul to win and to really kick some butt deep inside of him. That's what you look for. That is what you want in guys like that, who have that yearning. He loves to play football and would play it for free, and he is excited about going out and proving just how great he can be."
--Field Level Media
