Colts rule Andrew Luck and Clayton Geathers out for Thursday night vs. Steelers

The Indianapolis have officially ruled quarterback Andrew Luck and safety Clayton Geathers out for Thursday night’s Thanksgiving game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cornerback Vontae Davis and wide receiver Donte Moncrief are questionable.

There shouldn’t be anyone surprised by this injury update, as it’s what we’ve been saying all week: it was very, very unlikely Luck would play after suffering a concussion last Sunday, and the same with Geathers. Neither of them practiced at all this week, and with a set concussion protocol they have to go through in order to be cleared the chances were very slim they would be able to clear it in time on a short week.

With Luck out it’s expected to be Scott Tolzien getting the start at quarterback for the Colts, though Chuck Pagano yesterday was noncommittal and simply said “we have options.” It’s expected to be Tolzien, however, with Stephen Morris (who was just promoted to the active roster from the practice squad today) backing him up. Either way, it goes without saying that having to play without Andrew Luck is a major, major loss for Indianapolis.

It’s also a significant loss to be without Clayton Geathers, who has had a good season at safety and last week made the key fourth down stop. In his absence, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more Darius Butler at safety, while T.J. Green could get more playing time as well.

It will be interesting to see whether Vontae Davis is able to play, as he missed practice on Monday and Tuesday and then was limited today with his ankle injury. He’s been in a boot this week and was clearly affected by the injury last Sunday, so it wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Colts to keep him out. But against a dangerous Steelers passing offense it’s important for them to have their top cornerback, so we’ll see whether he’s able to play.

Wide receiver Donte Moncrief was a new addition to the injury report today as questionable, as he was limited with a hamstring injury. It’s unclear how serious that injury, but hopefully he will be able to go - as Scott Tolzien will need all the help he can get.