The Indianapolis Colts and Andrew Luck pulled off something nobody saw coming last year. After starting the year 1-5, they won nine of their next ten to finish the season 10-6 and make the playoffs. They even won a first round playoff game, and became the toast of the league.
It was a triumphant return season for Luck, who missed the entire 2018 season due to a shoulder injury. This offseason Luck is dealing with a calf injury, and the lessons he learned from his shoulder ordeal have taught him not to push it.
“Things can be stubborn sometimes,” Luck said recently, per Zak Keefeer of the Indianapolis Star. “I certainly don’t feel as young as I once did, but am certainly also being conservative with this. It’s one of the lessons I learned from my shoulder,” he explained.
Luck is still throwing, albeit from a chair so he doesn't aggravate his calf. In the meantime, he's going even harder with his preparation mentally.
“It doesn’t even compare (with last year),” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “Sure, he had input last year, but not even close to the same level (as now) … I think he’s taken the meetings to a higher level.”
Reich also indicated the injury wasn't too serious, and that they were just being cautious.
“In my mind, it’s a no-brainer,” Reich said when asked about whether Luck will be ready for training camp. “You can always re-aggravate something, I suppose … but barring anything crazy, in my mind, it’s a no-brainer.”
Luck forced himself to play through his shoulder injury in 2017, which only made it worse. The staff is being smart with him this time around, and they aren't going to make the same mistake twice. Indy finished last year as the league's hottest team, and they should be able to pick up right where they left off in 2019.
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