INDIANAPOLIS – The biggest question facing the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 will be the same question hovering over the franchise in 2017:

How’s Andrew Luck?

In these parts, if you’ve heard that question once, you’ve heard it a million times. And buckle up: Because you’re going to hear it again and again and again.

The Colts placed Andrew Luck on their injured reserve list Thursday, ensuring the Pro Bowl quarterback won’t play in 2017.

His season, which never really got started, is now officially over.

And, now, here come the questions. Will he need more surgery? Is his career in jeopardy? Will he be ready for the start of next season?

Lately, there seem to be more questions than answers around this franchise. Whether the issue is Luck’s health, the future of coach Chuck Pagano or how long the ongoing roster makeover will take, the Colts face many unknowns.

As it relates to Luck, a few preliminary answers were offered by General Manager Chris Ballard on Thursday. There is no surgery planned, Ballard said. Luck has seen several doctors recently after soreness in his shoulder persisted for more than two weeks. Luck previously had returned to practice and seemed on track to return to the lineup, as previously planned.

The good news is the doctors, Ballard said, were in agreement on how to address Luck’s current soreness. They recommended more “hard rehab,” as Ballard put it, a different regimen than the one previously used. This time it’s aimed specifically at relieving the current soreness.

"The shoulder’s tied in a bunch of different ways, from the scapula to the other muscles around it," Ballard said. "And getting them all to work together properly is a little bit of the issue. Trying to get them to work together could be causing the soreness issue. So, continue to rehab, continue to strengthen and continue flexibility. … We’ll continue down that path and get them all working together and get him going in the right direction."

Ballard said there is no indication Luck’s career is in any jeopardy.

"That’s not the case here. I’ve not got that from one doctor," Ballard said. "Career-ending is putting him out on the field before he’s ready to play. That’s where you should be concerned."

So, back to the training room Luck goes, mere weeks after he talked about finally seeing “the finish line” following months of working toward a return.

And, back to the same ol’ same ol’ for Colts fans. Which is to say back to the question everyone wants to answer, but can’t: How’s Luck doing?

The Colts’ entire 2018 offseason will be dominated by that question. Until Luck takes another snap in an NFL game, the avalanche of questions will persist.

Oh, the Colts are working under the assumption Luck will suit up for the start of 2018. Then again, they also thought he’d play at some point in 2017.

“We’ll take the approach that he’s going to be there,” Ballard said regarding Luck’s availability for the start of next season.

But Ballard was careful to not predict exactly how long Luck would be back in rehab mode before starting to throw again. The Colts will resume offseason work in April as they begin working toward the 2018 season.

By then, the Colts likely will have undergone major changes. A coaching change could be in the cards. The draft will be approaching with, presumably, a very high pick for struggling Indianapolis. And the Colts’ roster overhaul will be still be in full swing, with everything from the offensive line and receiving corps likely to be addressed in a significant way.

Add to all that the uncertainty about Luck and you can go ahead and pencil in the Colts as a team experts will again pronounce to be an also-ran heading into next season. The rebuilding effort is already looking like a process that could take a couple more years, based on the sporadic talent currently on the roster. Throw in Luck’s situation and what reason could there possibly be to expect much of the Colts in 2018?

Remember, this is a Pro Bowl quarterback, not some random slot cornerback or a kick returner (no offense to slot cornerbacks and kick returners).

“He’s a difference maker,” Ballard said. “He’s one of the top quarterbacks in this league. He’s frustrated. He’s absolutely frustrated.”

The doctors echoed one consistent sentiment: "A couple of their exact words was, 'You’ve got to be patient,'" Ballard said. "'You’ve got to be patient and keep working through this.'"

And while the Colts are doing that, the questions will keep coming through every minute of what is going to be an offseason of utter ambiguity.

Follow IndyStar Colts Insider Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.

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