Andrew Luck Needs 'Reps' to Rediscover Form, Peyton Manning Says

As Andrew Luck continues his road back from shoulder surgery, an Indianapolis Colts legend is offering some advice. 

Peyton Manning weighed in on the Indianapolis Colts quarterback's situation, saying that it'll take time for Luck to return to form.

"Everything is an individual thing, so you have to be careful speaking on it since injuries are different," Manning told ESPN's Mike Wells on Wednesday. "But it's also universal. For me, I was a [repetition] guy. I liked to get all the reps on practice. The theory of 10,000 reps, I believe in that. I felt like I was kind of behind because I hadn't gotten the reps even though you have a lot in the bank. It took me a few games before I felt like I was coming back. Getting as many reps as possible is key."

Manning, of course, was Luck's predecessor in Indianapolis. It was a neck injury that ended No. 18's Colts career and ultimately led to the team landing Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. 

The neck injury cost Manning the entire 2011 season, and with Luck coming to town, the veteran was released. He wound up finishing his career with the Denver Broncos, making three Pro Bowls, winning his fifth MVP award as well as his second Super Bowl title.

At 36 years old, Manning won the 2012 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. He also set the NFL record for most touchdown passes (55) in a single season just two years removed from injury.

While he may not have had to deal with a shoulder injury, he does know a thing or two about coming back from major surgery. Manning detailed some of the aspects of his comeback to Wells:

"For me, coming off missing the entire year with the neck, I knew I was going to have to play a different kind of way, a different sort of physical state. I was looking for things like positive feedback from receivers on whether the ball felt the same coming in and then when you get into the game and you throw a deep out. We played a preseason game and I threw a deep comeback route, and that was a thing to check off the box. You want to do everything for the first time again. You want to get hit, you want to make a tight throw, have a two-minute drive. I wanted to do all those things again."

And if Luck ever needs advice, he knows he has someone he can turn to.

"I'm pulling for Andrew's return," Manning told Wells. "I stay in touch with him. I came to the combine. He and I sat down for two to three hours and talked about in-season routine, offseason routine."