Andrew Luck encouraged by progress in return from injury
It's been 579 days since Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck took an NFL snap. He's had a number of well-documented setbacks following shoulder surgery in 2017, but he's participated in training camp after missing all of last season.
Luck has a few more hurdles to pass before he's cleared to start the 2018 NFL season, but he's pleased with his current progress.
"My arm continues to feel stronger and stronger," Luck told reporters Friday, according to the Indianapolis Star's Zak Keefer. "I'll get tired and I'll recover and I'll bounce back, and I feel like I’m on a great plan. It's been a lot of fun so far."
Even though eight days have passed since his first practice of the year, the star signal-caller feels miles ahead from when training camp opened.
"The first practice was like, 'What is going on? How do you hand the ball off? Where is everybody?' I left practice feeling like I didn't know what I just did," Luck said. "Then the second practice it started to feel like (I was) getting back into a groove.
"The feeling has gotten more comfortable, more comfortable each day. I still have a few head-scratching moments in practice. I'll throw a ball – I threw one the other day to T.Y., a deeper one – and I was like, 'Alright, I have no idea where this ball is going. Let's hope it ends up in the right place.' I hadn’t thrown that route in a long time. There are still moments like that."
Colts head coach Frank Reich said Luck would play "a little bit more than he would normally" in his team's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Before that point, the former No. 1 overall pick is focused on the mental side of the game and cleaning up his technique.
"I'm trying, it's a work in progress," Luck said. "There are times when I revert back to some old habits I've created... it's easier to do in drills, before practice, routes vs. air, throwing to wideouts. When you get into a team situation, you can't think, 'Is my back foot placed perfectly?' Then you're hit in the head or sacked. Translating that so it becomes second nature is a big part of practice."