Chuck Pagano: Andrew Luck is making ‘great progress’

Andrew Luck seems to be inching closer to a return, and Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano says he likes what he has seen from his quarterback recently.

On Monday, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team is planning for Luck to get some reps in practice this week. Pagano cautioned that Luck returning to the practice field doesn’t mean his return to game action is imminent, though he praised the progress the 28-year-old has made in recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

“He’s making great progress,” Pagano said, per Scott Horner of the Indianapolis Star. “Everybody has to understand he’s not going to come back out and take all the first-team snaps. We have to integrate him back into practice. It’d be great just to have him out there with his teammates.”

Ballard echoed Pagano’s sentiments, noting that he has been encouraged by watching Luck throw passes.

“Andrew’s doing really good,” the GM said. “I watched him throw the ball, and he’s starting to really get his range of motion back, getting his lower body to start working with his upper body, and his strength levels are getting back to where they need to be.”

Luck’s recovery has been a lot slower than expected, as Colts owner Jim Irsay said after the shoulder surgery that he expected the QB to be ready for Week 1. Getting Luck back at practice will be a huge step in the right direction, but one expert still expects it to be a while before he suits up on game day.