Luck misses practice, 'absolutely' confident he'll play vs. Vikings

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was held out of practice Wednesday for what head coach Chuck Pagano described as shoulder and elbow soreness.

Any such absence for a star quarterback will immediately raise concerns, but his availability for this week's game against the Minnesota Vikings doesn't appear to be in question.

Luck told reporters after practice that he's "absolutely" confident he'll be in the lineup Sunday afternoon, according to George Bremer of The Herald Bulletin.

The Colts' postseason hopes took a massive hit with last week's loss to the Houston Texans, and it would now take a miraculous series of events for the club to avoid missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Luck being forced to the sidelines would have all but eliminated the team's chances of doing its part and running the table, so it's certainly positive news that he appears on track to be under center.

The fifth-year signal-caller has recaptured his elite level of play after an injury-ridden 2015 campaign, completing 62.9 percent of his passes for 3,381 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 12 starts.