Andrew Luck appeared in front of the media Monday for the first time since December speaking optimistically about his return to the field, but the details surrounding that day still feel intangible.
The Colts’ franchise quarterback revealed he’s moving cautiously through his offseason rehab after some questionable decisions prolonged the process last year, forcing him to miss the entire 2017 season following surgery that January on his right throwing shoulder. The hesitation over how far is too far still appears to drive his actions.
“I’m not a perfect-feeling athlete right now,” Luck told Indianapolis reporters, according to NFL.com. “… One thing I picked up upon myself is that I’m quite impatient as a person. It has gotten into places — looking back at the rehab — that maybe I shouldn’t have been in, in the first place.
“I don’t want to repeat those missteps. I cannot miss steps,” added Luck, who’s also dealt with a handful of concussions throughout his career. “I very, very strongly believe in that. Some things just take time and I’ve learned that. When I do get the urge to do something a little silly, I talk to myself and say it’s not worth it right now.”
Luck wouldn’t share the timetable for his return, though he said one does exist. He began throwing again in February, but with smaller-sized footballs to fine-tune his throwing motion. The 28-year-old has plans to move on to an NFL regulation football “when the time is right.”
Still, 15 months after the original surgery, Luck is not throwing a real football.
Luck looks to throw down field during the Colts’ last game of the 2016 season.Getty ImagesOn top of giving the Colts much-needed stability at quarterback when he returns, Luck wants to avoid being a distraction in 2018, after the mystery surrounding his health last year consumed the team’s storylines.
Behind Jacoby Brissett, whom the Colts acquired in a trade with the Patriots in the offseason as quarterback insurance, Indianapolis went 4-12 and failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season. In each of Luck’s first three seasons, after he was selected No. 1 overall in the 2012 draft, the Colts went 11-5 and made the playoffs. Luck didn’t miss a single game and made the Pro Bowl each year, results that earned him the richest NFL contract at the time, a six-year, $140 extension he signed before the 2016 season.
“I’ve gone and skipped steps before and paid for it. Been in pain and not able to help the team. Embarrassed, guilty, whatever,” Luck explained,
. “I’m not going to do that again. I trust the people I’m working with. More importantly, I trust myself in this process. I trust how I feel. Progress is my guiding light. If I’m making progress, I know that’s important. There is a plan in place and I’ll keep trusting it.”
The Colts believe Luck’s assurance that he’ll return a “better player … a better teammate, a better person,” with head coach Frank Reich setting his sights on Luck being ready for Week 1. The trade Colts management
, giving Gang Green their No. 3 pick for the No. 6 and more late-round selections in this month’s draft, showed a confidence in Luck, as well. While the teams with the top four picks could all target quarterbacks, the Colts will be able to select an elite position player at No. 6 and acquire more weapons for Luck later on.
As Luck vanishes back to slug through his rehab process, Colts fans cling tight to those few positive words — even if his arm isn’t yet matching the optimism.
