INDIANAPOLIS – As the calendar turned from January to February, and then February to March, and deeper into the spring, the question and rumors lingered.
How healthy is Andrew Luck?
Conflicting reports on Luck's availability for the 2016 offseason program didn't help in projecting what the Colts were going to get out of No. 12 the past few months.
A new offense was being installed.
Luck had just missed nine games.
The Colts needed Luck for all the obvious reasons.
Eight weeks later, the book has closed on the offseason program.
Andrew Luck fully participated, with no limitations, and leaves the spring believing he made the necessary strides.
"Physically and mentally I feel like I have gotten better as a quarterback, better as a thrower and better at understanding this offense," Luck said on Thursday afternoon, after the Colts ended their three-day minicamp.
Watching practice a half dozen times and you couldn't notice any remaining injury issues with the franchise quarterback.
Luck received the needed reps and allowed the Colts to exit the offseason program feeling good about their QB, and the installation of a new offense.
"With every week and every day of practice you can just see (Luck) gain more confidence in that arm and the strength and the offense," Chuck Pagano said during minicamp.
The Colts will now go their separate ways for the next 47 days, with their playbooks and strength and conditioning plans in hand.
After four years in the NFL, Luck believes he has carved out the proper June/July preparation for Training Camp, with a few tweaks.
"It has changed a bit this year," Luck says of his upcoming training over the next month and a half.
"What happened last year definitely has an effect on that in realizing that there is still some sort of ground that I need to cover in a sense."
That work before reporting to Anderson is priority No. 1 for Luck.
And, then there's that whole contract talk, too.
"I do anticipate it getting done," Luck said, following a similar sentiment to what the Colts brass said earlier this week.
"As far as importance of getting it done or not, if it happens, great, if it doesn't happen, great too. I know I'm a Colt and I'm going to do the best job I can for this team, no matter what the situation is."
