Colts Sign Quarterback Josh Johnson

The Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Josh Johnson to the active roster today. They in turn waived cornerback Shaun Prater to make room for Johnson. The move sparks concern over whether or not Andrew Luck will be able to play this Sunday.

Luck has been limited this week in practice with a sore right shoulder. He hasn’t thrown any passes for two days and if he’s limited again today, the chances he plays Sunday against the Jaguars become less likely. This might just be insurance in case Luck struggles in practice today or aggravates his shoulder. We have no indication that Luck will or won’t practice today, but the signs haven’t been encouraging.

If Luck can’t go, Matt Hasselbeck would be the starter with Johnson backing him up. From the Colts release on Johnson:

"Johnson, 6-3, 210 pounds, most recently spent time in training camp with the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals in 2015. He has played in 29 games (five starts) and completed 96-of-177 passes for 1,042 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Johnson also has tallied 44 rushes for 274 yards. He has spent time with the San Francisco 49ers (2014), Cincinnati Bengals (2013), Cleveland Browns (2012) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008-2011). Johnson was originally selected by the Buccaneers in the fifth round (160th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft.In 2014, Johnson was on the 49ers roster for 13 games, but did not play. He saw action in two games for the Bengals in 2013 and registered seven carries for 20 yards. In 2012, Johnson spent training camp with the 49ers before being released during final cuts. He was signed by the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League and started two games, completing 28-of-48 passes for 397 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Browns signed Johnson at the end of the 2012 season and he played in the regular season finale but recorded no statistics. He played in nine games (one start) for the Buccaneers in 2011 and completed 19-of-36 passes for 246 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also carried the ball 11 times for 67 yards. In 2010, Johnson appeared in 11 games for Tampa Bay and completed 14-of-16 passes for 111 yards and added 39 yards on four carries. He started a career-high four games for the Buccaneers in 2009 and completed 63-of-125 passes for 685 yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. Johnson also ran the ball 22 times for 148 yards. As a rookie in 2008, he dressed but did not play in all 16 games as the designated third quarterback for Tampa Bay."

The Colts practice starts soon and we’ll have more on Luck’s injury after coach Chuck Pagano holds his Friday press conference this afternoon.