Calf Injury Continues to Hamper Andrew Luck’s Participation in Training Camp

After a return to practice following a day off Monday, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was held out again due to issues with his calf. After the practice Frank Reich said that feedback from Luck in terms of his pain was the reason for the additional day of rest, and indicated that Luck was not ready to take the next step in his progress toward full recovery.

Given Luck’s history and that of the team’s caginess where his injuries are concerned, it is understandable that this makes Colts fans a bit uneasy. Three months seems quite a long time to deal with a calf issue, and while the Colts continue to stress that over caution is the prime directive early in camp, the situation certainly bears close observation.

Reich stated that they had determined months ago that Luck would not play in the preseason opener, and it seems that they’ll utilize him sparingly there, which makes sense for the veteran returning to a familiar offensive system.

With the slow progress back from this injury, it seems likely that we’ll see Luck continue to get light work throughout camp. Considering his talent, intelligence, and rapport with Reich and the offensive weapons, that is not insurmountable, although it could mean a slower start offensively when the regular season begins as timing may not be as locked in as they would like.

In his own conversation with the media, Luck expressed frustration that the injury was not progressing more quickly, but also indicated that the intention was not to push himself and risk further injury. The feeling that he was “going backward” was the primary reason for not practicing.

He also spoke to the comparisons to the Kevin Durant injury a bit, specifying that the injury had caused some ankle pain but was ultimately a calf strain and that the scans they had done indicated that his Achilles was not at risk.

For what it is worth, Reich did say that, were Sunday a big game, Luck would be playing. Luck echoed this sentiment, saying he has played through far more pain. That gives a bit more credence to the idea that they really are taking a cautious approach during a time of year when that is acceptable. There is no need to rush him back and risk aggravating an injury that could drag on into the season with so much time left before the games count.