The team that initiated Deflategate soon might face its own NFL investigation.
The league “will look into” the Indianapolis Colts’ reported failure to disclose that quarterback Andrew Luck has been playing through multiple rib fractures, league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email to ProFootballTalk.
The Colts announced the shoulder injury that sidelined Luck for two games but have never mentioned an issue with the signal-caller’s ribs, which, if a report by FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer proves accurate, would be a violation of the NFL’s injury-reporting rules.
Mike Florio of PFT offered a few potential explanations.
“The Colts may claim that the injured ribs weren’t disclosed because the ribs at no point caused him to miss practice or games,” Florio wrote Sunday. “The Colts also may argue that Luck kept the injury to himself.”
Glazer reported Sunday that Luck cracked multiple ribs during a Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans — the same game in which he suffered his shoulder injury. After the report surfaced, Colts general manager Ryan Grigson released a statement saying the team’s injury reports “are accurate.”
“If people have any questions about player injuries,” Grigson said, “they should refer to our injury reports.”
Luck ranked third-to-last in the NFL in passer rating entering Week 8, and only Peyton Manning and Sam Bradford had thrown more interceptions.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
