Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will start in the team's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, according to sports reporter Terry Blount (via Kyle Newport of Bleacher Report).

The Pro Bowl signal-caller missed the entire 2017 as he recovered from shoulder surgery, and there were doubts if he'd even be ready for 2018. But with Luck set to play his first game in over a year and a half, it seems like the recovery has gone as planned. and he should be good to go for Week 1.

The 28-year-old revealed earlier this week to Mike Wells of ESPN.com that he was worried about not being able to play at a high level again. Luck has battled through various injuries, including a lacerated kidney that forced him to miss the second half of the 2015 season.

Indianapolis struggled big time without their star quarterback in 2017, finishing with a woeful 4-12 record. Quarterbacks Scott Tolzien and Jacoby Brissett, predictably, weren't able to bring the same offensive dynamic as Luck, and the Colts had their first losing season in six years.

Luck, whom the Colts drafted first overall in 2012, guided the team to 11-win seasons in his first three years as a pro. This included a trio of playoff victories and a trip to the 2014 AFC Championship Game, though they fell to the New England Patriots.

The Colts have a new look going into the 2018 season, highlighted by the hiring of Frank Reich as their new head coach. He was offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl 52-winning Philadelphia Eagles, so the Colts are hoping Reich can help rebuild this team into an offensive juggernaut.

For the Colts, their chances of making the postseason rest solely on Luck and his health. Few quarterbacks are as dominant as him, but the problem is simply avoiding injuries and staying healthy.

The Colts will get a strong look at Luck Thursday, as they try to ease their franchise player back into the game.

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