Luck on 1st game in nearly 600 days: 'I had a lot of fun out there'
It had been nearly 600 days - 585, to be precise - since Andrew Luck last played in a football game.
The Indianapolis Colts' franchise quarterback made his long-awaited return from a shoulder injury on Thursday night in the team's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Luck led two drives and went 6-for-9 for 64 yards in the appearance. Most importantly, he came out of the game unscathed.
"I had a lot of fun out there," Luck said postgame, according to Michael Silver of NFL.com. "There's a lot to clean up, but that's part of the process. This was a big step."
Luck first underwent surgery for a partially torn labrum in January 2017, and the lengthy recovery forced him to miss the entire 2017 season.
The three-time Pro Bowler tested his throwing shoulder early on Thursday night, and he did it while taking some licks.
"That was probably the most excited I've ever been to get hit," Luck said. "It was pretty cool ... take the hit, realize I'm OK, then just get up and go."
That's a positive sign for Colts fans who have been promised Luck's return since the early part of last season. Instead, the team ended up trading for New England Patriots backup Jacoby Brissett to hold down the fort in Luck's absence.
Luck will likely be on the field longer during the Colts' next preseason game on Monday, Aug. 20 against the Baltimore Ravens.