Andrew Luck will not play tonight in Colts’ preseason opener vs. Bills

It was expected that Colts quarterback Andrew Luck would make his first start for the team since November 2015, but instead we’ll have to wait just a little bit longer.

Though Luck was expected to play all along, Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted this afternoon that Colts fans should expect Luck to make his first start when the team returns home next week instead of tonight against the Buffalo Bills on the road.

It’s an interesting change at the last minute, but it really doesn’t mean much. It’s only the preseason, and the games don’t mean anything - especially for veteran players like Luck whose spots are 100% guaranteed. So it’s likely that the Colts are just opting to play Luck in the second and third preseason games and allow him to sit out this one (and, obviously, the fourth one too). All this means is that he should see a few drives in each of the next two games, meaning that Colts fans will get to see him up close at Lucas Oil Stadium. The plan had originally been to play Luck for a series or two, but the Colts apparently decided to change those plans and just let Luck sit out the game.

Tonight, it will be Scott Tolzien making the start, and Stephen Morris backing him up. I’d expect both players to get significant time, with Tolzien likely playing most of the first half and then Morris taking it from there. What’s currently unclear is whether the team’s other starters will join Luck on the sidelines tonight or whether they will be playing.