Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck flew to Houston and is planning to start Thursday against the Houston Texans, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport.
Luck practiced this week as a limited participant due to a slight separated shoulder in his throwing arm. Hasselbeck missed practice on Tuesday due to illness, according to the Associated Press. With both Luck and Hasselbeck questionable for the game Thursday the Colts resigned quarterback Josh Johnson as an insurance plan.
The Colts have won two straight games after opening the season with two losses. The last two weeks they got wins over two AFC South rivals in the Titans and the Jaguars, and Thursday they will look to pick up their third divisional win against the Texans.
Hasselbeck had a strong performance filling in for Luck last week, earning a win in overtime against the Jaguars 16-13. Hasselbeck was 30 for 47 passing for 282 yards with a touchdown. The Colts struggled on the ground last week only picking up 60 yards with Frank Gore managing the majority of those yards.
Luck would likely have played this week if the game was on Sunday, but since it's a Thursday game he has a 50 percent chance of playing, according to CBS reporter Jason La Canfora. His pregame warm-up will likely be when the final decision is made, but it seems the Colts will play it safe with their franchise quarterback.
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said his team will "do the right thing," and that likely means resting Luck, per ESPN. The Colts could likely use Luck against a division opponent Thursday, but the team is probably also looking down the road as they still have a long schedule ahead of them.
