INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck was an active participant on the field Tuesday as the Indianapolis Colts conducted a Phase 2 workout in their indoor facility at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
But on Wednesday, when the team got back into Phase 3 of its offseason workout program — and held its fourth total OTA practice — No. 12 was notably absent from the field.
Chalk it up to a change in Luck's rehab workout schedule, head coach Frank Reich said after Wednesday's practice.
In the team's previous OTA practices, Luck would participate in team stretching, conduct some quarterback/center exchanges and footwork drills and then carry out some handoff plays to the running backs during the early portion of the session before either heading back inside to work on his own or watch the rest of practice off to the side.
But earlier this week, Reich said "we just thought we would just shuffle a few things around in (Luck's) schedule, just to maybe get the most out of the allotted time that we have."
"We just evaluated the schedule last week, and looking at how to be efficient with the time, and really, it was just sitting down looking at every aspect," Reich said. "I mean, we look at every aspect of what we do, and are we getting the most out of every player, making the most out of every minute?"
Reich said Luck, essentially, has the "same routine," and although he isn't out with his teammates, the team is "making sure that we're hitting every mark that we want to hit" in his individual work.
Luck continues to work his way back after undergoing surgery to his throwing shoulder about 16 months ago, which resulted in the three-time Pro Bowler missing the entire 2017 season.
Though he's yet to throw a regulation NFL football as part of his continued rehab work, Reich said last week he expects Luck to possibly begin throwing in the five- to six-week gap between the end of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp.
Luck continues to be fully integrated into the installation of the team's new offense, Reich said, and while the entire process of getting back to throwing, learning a new offense and learning new teammates — all within a couple months — can present its challenges, Reich said he's confident in Luck's ability to take it all on.
"I mean, I'm not going to say it's not going to be challenging. I mean, this is the NFL — you want to be at the top of the game in every aspect," Reich said. "But mentally he's learning the offense. You know, not getting the reps, obviously every rep is important, but I've experienced what it's like to be a backup and not get reps and still have to go in there and play, so I know it can be done.
"Obviously he's got elite-level ability mentally and physically in every way, he's been around a few years now, so I'm just very confident that when he starts taking reps that things will accelerate very quickly."
