Indianapolis Colts: A healthy Andrew Luck is good for the NFL

When Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is healthy, the NFL is in a better place. Thankfully, the former No. 1 overall draft pick is almost back.

The past three years have been grueling and unforgiving for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. The mishandling of a shoulder injury that was severely underestimated has essentially cost the former No. 1 overall draft pick three healthy seasons of his career.

As the 2018 NFL offseason begins to gain speed, however, Luck offered an encouraging—and somewhat heartbreaking—reminder that he’s still a factor.

Luck, now 28 years of age, missed the entire 2017 season with the shoulder ailment that just won’t seem to quit. He played in just seven games in 2015, and while he was active for 15 games in 2016, he never truly looked like himself.

In a recent interview with Peter King of TheMMQB.com, Luck discussed how difficult it was for him to spend time away from the sport he loves (h/t Mike Wells of ESPN).

"“It was very difficult to not play last year and to have something that you love to do taken away from you,” he said. “And it makes you sort of turn the proverbial mirror on yourself and look at, you know, ‘Who am I? What am I? What do I truly love to do?’ And one of the many great things, blessings, of what I’ve gone through, one of them is that I truly, I can look at myself and I love football, and I want to play so bad. I love throwing a football. I love my teammates.“And when that’s taken away from you — I probably didn’t appreciate it, how much joy I got out of that from my first five years in the league, and then to have that taken away from you gives you a perspective, and I think I’ll be a better quarterback and a teammate because of that perspective.”"

Whether you’re a fan or a skeptic, what’s entirely undeniable is that Luck has a passion for the game that the NFL can only benefit from showcasing.

Some feel as though Luck was overhyped during the first three seasons of his NFL career. He was prone to interceptions, which both alienated fantasy football owners and disappointed skeptics who were hoping he’d post numbers with an Aaron Rodgers level of efficiency.

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During that three-year window, however, Luck displayed all of the traits of a legitimate franchise quarterback—and he did so on a trio of rather underwhelming Colts teams.

Luck threw for 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions as a rookie, and came back even stronger with 23 touchdowns to nine interceptions in his second season. He erupted in year three, posting 4,761 passing yards and 40 touchdowns to 16 interceptions.

As for his postseason resumé, all Luck did during that time was lead Indianapolis to the AFC Championship Game, win three playoff games, and orchestrate the second-biggest comeback in postseason history.

Not exactly bust material.

The unfortunate reality is that injuries have kept Luke off the field and limited his effectiveness when he’s been active. He threw 12 interceptions in just seven games in 2015, due in large part to the previously alluded to shoulder injury.

It certainly didn’t help that Luck suffered a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle in Week 9—a game during which he threw for 252 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

More importantly: A game during which he led Indianapolis to a 27-24 upset of the previously 7-0 Denver Broncos.

Denver, of course, would go on to win the Super Bowl that very season.

In 2016, Luck accumulated 4,240 passing yards and 31 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in 15 games played. The numbers imply that it was a return to form, but the shoulder injury that bothered him in 2015 continued to linger.

Luck opted for shoulder surgery in January of 2017, but the procedure and recovery process failed to provide him with the opportunity to appear in a single game this past season.

With the Colts in possession of the No. 3 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, general manager Chris Ballard has a chance to select a landscape-altering prospect. For Luck, that means he could return to a team that’s slightly better off than it was before he left.

How Indianapolis utilizes the seven selections it’s equipped with is another conversation entirely, but the opportunity exists for drastic improvement.

As for Luck, his presence would positively influence the NFL’s image and overall hierarchy. Elite quarterback play is rare to find, and the 28-year-old has looked the part of that caliber of player during his healthy seasons.

At this point, all we can realistically do is hope that Luck’s shoulder will be 100 percent when the 2018 NFL regular season begins in September.

The next seven months will rank amongst the most important in Indianapolis Colts history. If Andrew Luck comes back strong, both Indianapolis and the NFL will benefit from it.