Andrew Luck seemed to skate through the first three years of his NFL career. Last season, the turnovers and hits caught up with the quarterback.
Luck threw 12 interceptions to just 15 touchdowns in 2015 and missed nine games due to injury.
New quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer insisted the team is not trying to adjust how Luck approaches the game.
"We're not going to change the way Andrew plays,'' Schottenheimer said, via ESPN.com. "Andrew's going to play the game. You've got to let Andrew play.''
Luck has been hit more than any quarterback since he's entered the league in 2012 -- 375 times to Ryan Tannehill's 364. The Colts attempted to remedy that problem, selecting four offensive linemen in this year's draft.
The turnovers are troubling. Some were due to poor protection, others to poor decisions. Last year, Luck especially struggled forcing throws into coverage. He completed just 55.3 percent of his passes in 2015. For his career, Luck owns a 58.1 completion percentage -- a number lower than the likes of Matthew Stafford, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco and other quarterbacks who will soon make far less money that Luck.
"I think the turnovers will happen from time to time," Schottenheimer said. "There are a few decisions, of course, from last year he looks at and is like, 'Man, I shouldn't have done that,' but I think that's all a part of the process. I think he grew a lot last year just by actually being able to sit back and watch a little bit."
Another talking point this offseason has been the hits Luck has sustained in his young career. Both owner Jim Irsay and coach Chuck Pagano have insisted Luck needs to be better at knowing when to give himself up and when to fight for the extra yard.
"The ones who are great competitors have a harder time (conceding on a play), but again, I think Andrew learned a lot last year and sometimes when you lose something that is so precious to you, you sit back and you're like, 'Wow, in order for this not to happen again, maybe there are some things I need to adjust,'" Schottenheimer said. "He realizes that he wants to be on that field. We certainly need him on that field. You'll see that growth with him this year from a maturity standpoint."
Luck's health will be a huge talking point the rest of the calendar year. If he stays on the field, the Colts have a shot to reclaim their spot atop the AFC South. If Luck gets injured again or continues to throw carloads of interceptions, Indy will be drafting in the top 10 next year.
