Andrew Luck Breaks Silence, Teases Return to NFL Action.

The Indianapolis Colts have experienced what could only be interpreted as a season of growth, albeit not exactly in the way that they had hoped. Coming into 2017, pundits had put Indianapolis on the map for a potential playoff run in the AFC South. However, seeing franchise QB Andrew Luck sidelined for much of the year quickly changed expectations. Indianapolis made a deal to grab Jacoby Brissett from New England, in exchange for draft picks, and they moved forward with Luck taking his own time to come back to the franchise. Now, it looks like that time has come to a close. Andrew Luck made his first media appearance since being shut down and the QB looked optimistic, to say the least.

Fans and professionals around the NFL have been absolutely stunned by Luck’s prolonged recovery period. According to reports, Luck had been cleared to take the field to play again. However, Luck himself seemed to have some sort of mental block or hurdle that prevented him from getting back into the game. There was drama behind the scenes between management and coaching with Luck and eventually, it boiled to a head, causing luck to step away from the team in order to reduce the prospect of being a distraction. Luck admitted that he felt like he was “pulled in too many directions” and that led him to leave the country for his rehab.

When Luck took the podium he was immediate and to the point about the future of his shoulder injury. Luck said, “My gut and my feeling tells me that I do not need another surgery.” Luck went on to point out that he hadn’t been receiving additional injections or operations since being sidelined. Luck instead focused on rehabilitation and strength training, though he hadn’t really been throwing much. Luck says, “I was experiencing pain still.”

With Andrew Luck back in the fold, the Indianapolis Colts can look toward the future once again with a sense of optimism. Jacoby Brissett turned into a serviceable backup over the course of the season but he proved with his inconsistent play that he would not be able to steal the job from Luck. When the 2017 season gets underway, Luck will have been sidelined for over a year — something that many professionals have trouble coming back from. In fact, Luck has missed 26 games over the past three seasons but he’ll look to take his starting job back in order to try and become one of the elite NFL quarterbacks once again.