Jim Irsay Promises Andrew Luck's Shoulder is Fine, But Must Play Smarter

Ahead of his team’s debut in London, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said that superstar quarterback Andrew Luck‘s shoulder is fine on Saturday.

There had been speculation that Luck could be dealing with a long-term shoulder injury, but Irsay insists that his quarterback is healthy–with no injury of that nature.

However, the eccentric owner also said that #12 has to play smarter and can’t put himself in harm’s way unnecessarily anymore in order to maintain that health going forward:

Specifically, Irsay referenced Luck’s interception against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of this season that was returned 46 yards for a touchdown the other way by cornerback Aqib Talib early in the 4th quarter–with Luck diving at Talib with reckless abandonment on a failed tackle attempt:

If you care to see the play itself, you can see Luck dive at Talib during the latter’s interception return–only to have starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo ultimately fall on him:

Irsay added that Luck has to cut down on the unnecessary physical contact plays because he’s not necessarily that 22 year old kid at Stanford anymore laying out college players. After all, the NFL is a different animal all together, with some of the biggest, strongest, and fastest players in all of professional sports with defensive players who can really hit–and hit hard at that.

Dec 21, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety J.J. Wilcox (27) runs with the ball after a interception against Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Luck is also 27 years old now, so he may not as readily bounce back from those aches and bruises as quickly from such excessive physicality:

Nevertheless, it’s encouraging news to hear that Luck isn’t dealing with any long-term shoulder condition. It would make sense too given that the Colts just willingly invested 6-years and $140 million into that same right throwing shoulder–making Luck the highest paid player in NFL history.

Sep 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) throws to a receiver during their game against the San Diego Chargers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

So far, Luck hasn’t really shown any lingering effects of a shoulder injury, as the superstar quarterback has thrown for 6 touchdowns to 2 interceptions, 913 passing yards, and a passer rating of 93.2.

In fact, Pro Football Focus (subscription) has him as the 2nd best rated quarterback overall, only behind scorching hot Philadelphia Eagles rookie sensation Carson Wentz

As such, it appears that Luck’s shoulder is in fact fine

However, by playing smarter and keeping the excessive physical contact plays to a minimum–which to Luck’s credit he has slid more this season, the Colts quarterback could ensure that this remains the case going forward as well–ultimately prolonging his NFL career.