Andrew Luck Says His Shoulder Is Pain-Free, Talks Injury Rehab

After missing the 2017 season with a shoulder injury, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck said Tuesday he's pain-free.

According to Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, Luck said, "It's gone. The pain is gone, and it's going to stay that way."

Luck was seen throwing a football Tuesday for the first time in eight months, but he divulged he had played catch with head coach Frank Reich three weeks earlier. 

With regard to Luck's attempt to return last season before getting shut down in November, he said, "I had pain last year [that] I wasn't being honest to myself about."

Luck added he is seeing noticeable improvement as his rehab continues:

"Absolutely. The feeling continues to go down, down, down. My arm feels normal. Simply, I feel better. My dips after throwing ... are much less. My body doesn't revolt, in a sense, to new things. I trust myself. I push myself. We go hard ... you might not see it, but I go hard. I feel like I improve and I don't dip as much. [It's not like] 'Oh my gosh, I can't move my arm for the rest of the day.' It's, 'All right, when are we going [to work out] next? Let's recover. Let's move.' And that's different."

With Luck on the shelf, Jacoby Brissett started 15 games last season.

While Brissett did some good things, the Colts struggled, finishing 4-12 and missing the playoffs for the third straight season.

Luck is a borderline elite quarterback when healthy, as he's earned three Pro Bowl nods.

In 70 career games, he boasts a 43-27 record with 19,078 passing yards, 132 touchdowns and 68 interceptions.

In 2016, Luck threw for 4,240 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 picks.

The Colts are a far better team when he is under center, and the 2012 No. 1 overall pick said Tuesday he has no doubt he'll be in the lineup when Indy opens the regular season Sept. 9.