Wednesday 21 February 2018 07:40, UK
Andrew Luck is optimistic about the state of his surgically repaired right shoulder.
The Indianapolis Colts quarterback said on Tuesday that he does not need another operation on his throwing shoulder.
Asked about the possibility of another operation, Luck said: "Oh, that is not an option for me right now. That ship has sailed in my mind, which is also a bit of relief now, if I'm not going to lie."
Luck, 28, missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery in January 2017. In the fall, he spent more than a month rehabbing in the Netherlands, and now he is working out in Los Angeles with throwing-mechanics experts Tom House and Adam Dedeaux.
"I'm in the middle of sort of a little bit of throwing, but strengthening and preparing my shoulder to be able to handle the throw load that is part of being an NFL quarterback," he said. "The focus right now is still strengthening all those muscles and making sure my shoulder can handle that."
"I feel awesome, I really do. I'm in a great place. It's been a long journey, and it'll still be a long journey to hopefully get done whatever we need to get done in Indianapolis. ...
"One thing I've learned through the last couple of years is you can't skip steps. You have to do everything as well as possible. I have to catch myself, as much as I want to grab a ball and throw it a million times, I know I have to build up to be able to handle that. And right now I'm in that building phase. And it's exciting."
Luck, selected No 1 overall by Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft, made the Pro Bowl each of his first three seasons. In June 2016, he signed a six-year, $140m contract extension, receiving a guaranteed $87m, a deal that at the time was the richest in NFL history.
