Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is still doing his best to ease concerns about his surgically repaired shoulder -- the one which has yet to throw a pass.
"I would say that there's no reason to freak out," Luck told reporters Saturday. "I will be better than I was coming into this coming out. I know that. I don't know what day it's going to be, I don't know what week, I don't know when it's going to be but I definitely will be. So there's no reason to freak out. And on that note, football is the greatest team game in the world. No one person is bigger than the team and I've always felt that. We've got a solid, solid team that is forming at this complex. So, no reason to freak out."
Luck went on to say he would not commit to any specific return date -- not even the Colts' season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10.
"It's a dangerous game to count backwards from a certain date, late August, or September," said Luck, who has been throwing a tennis ball as part of his rehab. "I think that's completely unfair to the process and will end up causing worse issues if you are skipping steps.
"We are not going to rush it, to rush it. I think that would be the worst thing we could do. The end game is for me to better than I was before I was injured and I don't want to put a date on that."
Convincing the general public that everything is OK has probably been one of the less enjoyable parts of Luck's rehab process. The Colts have kept his progress (or lack thereof) a closely guarded secret since January surgery and have not placed a firm timetable on a resolution. Owner Jim Irsay saying a Week 1 return was on the table served as the only benchmark out there for months. Luck recently downplayed that possibility.
So "freak out" is a relative term for the bright and worldly Luck, who believes that he is merely 1/11th of the pie. Colts fans may beg to differ.
It would not be surprising to start hearing a lot about backup Scott Tolzien in the coming weeks. As the beginning stage of training camp wanes without Luck under center, we're that much closer to having No. 12 on the sidelines when the regular season opens.
