Chris Ballard isn’t the only one in the building who believes the rivalry is back on, it seems.
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels shockingly declined the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach job last Tuesday, prompting a blustery press conference by Ballard, Indy’s general manager.
Apparently, Andrew Luck is equally motivated by McDaniels’ sudden about-face, though. In his weekly column for MMQB.com on Monday, Peter King reported that McDaniels turning down the Colts has given the veteran quarterback a “shot of motivational adrenaline” that he “didn’t have” before that decision.
Much of that “motivational adrenaline” will be aimed at the Patriots, according to King:
“Every time the Colts play the Patriots … it’s going to be a mega-game for Luck.”
New England will play Indy at home in 2018, although the date is unclear — which means it’s also unclear whether Luck will be healthy. The 28-year-old missed the entire 2017 season while recovering from right shoulder surgery, and it’s still unknown when he’ll play football again.
But Luck supposedly has the Pats circled on his calendar, ready to show McDaniels what he missed out on by staying in New England — and ready to prove the rivalry really is back on. (… Just kidding.)
