Andrew Luck 'good to go' for Colts training camp

Zak Keefer | IndyStar

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WESTFIELD – The Franchise isn’t just coming back, he’s coming back to run the show.

Andrew Luck, 18 months after undergoing the shoulder surgery that put his promising career in peril, is “good to go” for Indianapolis Colts’ training camp next week, according to General Manager Chris Ballard, and will be taking first-team reps when the team hits the practice field for the first time on Thursday.

That’s big. Really big. After more than a year of speculation and setbacks, Luck is set to return with the rest of the Colts’ starters, the surest sign yet that this long nightmare is behind him and Indy’s franchise quarterback is ready to get back to playing football again.

Still, Ballard urged patience. A grueling, five-week training camp awaits, followed by four preseason games. Luck still has a number of hurdles to clear.

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“I think we’ll get questions until he lines up and plays again, and plays high-level football again,” Ballard said Friday at the team’s new venue for training camp, Westfield’s sprawling Grand Park Sports Campus. “I can see the panic the first time he throws an interception. It’s just part of what we do. He understands it. He gets it.”

Luck spent the final part of his offseason in California, throwing with teammates and training, and Ballard says he will not have “any limitations” when camp begins next week. Luck won’t throw every day, but will instead follow a weekly schedule that mimics game weeks to ready him for the regular season.

“I (haven’t been) with him, but I’ve seen enough throws that I know he’s throwing the ball pretty well,” Ballard said. “I thought the first day (of June’s minicamp), there was one ball on the swing pass, ‘OK, there you go, he really let it go.’ The next day, there were four to five balls he really let go. I think that’ll be the case when you get to camp.”

Regardless, the Colts will bring Luck along gradually, easing him into the rigors of training camp. He’ll soon see his first live action in months, and the plan remains in place for him to suit up multiple times in the preseason. To what extent remains to be determined.

The Colts open the preseason August 9 in Seattle and close it August 30 in Cincinnati.

“There’s no doubt he’s gotta play,” Ballard said. “Andrew needs to play and he knows that. The more team reps and live reps he can get, and making sure he can play in the preseason ... (but regarding the risk for injury), it’s a fine line, not just for Andrew, but for everyone.”

Ballard elaborated, reflecting on the long, hard, unpredictable and frustrating 18-month journey he’s undergone from the time he took over as general manager to now, when it appears his franchise quarterback is finally back in the fold.

“It’s been fun, and really neat, watching his growth as a man, in who he is,” Ballard said. “And to watch his confidence grow. It’s been fun to watch. And I’ve gotten close with the kid.”

Ballard detailed a number of other injuries:

>> Left tackle Anthony Castonzo tweaked a hamstring last week while training, and the team is weighing placing him on the Physically Unable to Perform list, albeit temporarily. Castonzo is rehabbing, and Ballard said if the team did place him on PUP, it’d only be for “two to three days.” He likely won’t be on the field for the first practice Thursday.

>> Starting safety Clayton Geathers underwent a minor knee procedure during the offseason, which explains his mysterious absence from spring and summer workouts. He had “a little piece taken out,” Ballard said. The injury is unrelated to Geathers’ scary neck injury he fought through more than a year ago. “It kinda popped up at the end of last year, and he had to go in there and clean it,” Ballard said. “Geathers is going to be fine from all indications. He’s doing good. He’s working his tail off to get back right.”

>> The other starting safety, Malik Hooker, will begin camp on the PUP list as he continues to rehab from his torn ACL last October. Ballard said that the chance of reaggravating the ACL dips significantly at the nine-month mark, and Hooker will hit that mid-August. That’s when he’ll likely return to the field for individual workouts. He’s expected to participate in the second part of the preseason.

>> Running back Marlon Mack is “good to go” after offseason shoulder surgery. He’ll wear a brace during camp.

>> Same for offensive lineman Jack Mewhort, who’s coming off two straight seasons that ended on injured reserve. He’ll get some rest days, but he’s been cleared. “No limitations, no issues,” Ballard noted.

>> More good news for tight end Erik Swoope, who’s been cleared after losing his entire 2017 season to a leg injury. He’ll have modified reps early, but will be back on the field.

>> Wide receiver Krishawn Hogan, who suffered a torn ACL mid-season, has reached the nine-month mark since his injury and is expected to participate at the start of camp. His reps will be limited early on, but he’s been cleared.

>> Offensive lineman Deyshawn Bond isn’t likely to begin camp on the PUP list, but it’s a possibility. He’ll mostly do individual drills the first few weeks of camp. “He’s really close to being ready,” Ballard said.

>> Jeremy Vujnovich, who played every single snap last year along the offensive line, is still dealing with a calf issue. Ballard and the team will know more when he arrives for camp Wednesday.

Every other player who may have missed time during spring and summer workouts – cornerbacks D.J. White, Quincy Wilson and Nate Hairston, as well as receiver T.Y. Hilton, are good to go.

>> Also of note, the Colts are continuing to monitor the situation with defensive end Chris McCain, who was charged with two misdemeanors after an alleged incident with a woman. McCain has denied the claims. “We don’t want to make a rash decision,” Ballard said. So McCain will report to camp and participate, and the Colts will let the process play out before making their final decision on his status.

>> Robert Turbin, suspended for the first four games of the regular season after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, will participate in training camp, Ballard said. “Heck of a pro, great kid, he owned up (to this),” Ballard said. “He’s owning it and he’s going to take his punishment and move forward.”

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.

Andrew Luck will be taking starter’s reps when the #Colts begin training camp next Thursday. That’s big. — Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) July 20, 2018

Ballard on Luck: “He needs to play. ... but it is a fine line.” My takeaway is he will play in preseason. — Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) July 20, 2018