Andrew Luck is Throwing Weighted Balls, Not Yet Throwing a Football

With the news directly from his own lips that Andrew Luck would not require another surgery, many Colts fans breathed a sigh of relief and began to hope again that this team could be on the right track again. However, one of the things Luck said in his interview was that he was doing a little bit of throwing that was focused on strengthening and preparing his shoulder to “handle the throw-load that’s part of being a quarterback.”

What he didn’t say, is that he was throwing a football. For some, this might have been more than a bit disturbing. The Colts have not exactly earned the benefit of the doubt where Luck has been concerned. They’ve kept a lot of information quiet as if guarding state secrets. While some of this is just the nature of the NFL and some of it may be due to them lacking information themselves, fans have been frustrated by the lack of communication.

Now more information has come out from Ian Rapoport, which clarifies what exactly Luck meant when he said he had been doing some throwing.

While he is not yet throwing a football, he is throwing weighted balls that are heavier than a football. This is undoubtedly part of the process that Tom House and Adam Dedeaux have devised along with Luck’s doctors to move him along in a way that will avoid any self-inflicted setbacks.

While many armchair orthopedists seem to come out of the woodwork to declare that the sky is falling because Luck is not yet throwing a football, this slow and deliberate plan is likely based in the idea that they want to be absolutely certain that he has rehabbed the shoulder fully and completely before he takes the field.

It is obvious that setbacks occurred before. Maybe it is possible that Luck rushed back too quickly before and was himself part of the reason for those setbacks. Slow-tracking him and making sure every step is followed carefully is critical not just for his return this season, but for his longevity in this league.

While fans would love to know definitively that he is ready to take the field and that all is fine, it ultimately is the best thing that they take the process slowly and fully rehab him since they have the time to do so. It is undeniable that throwing weighted balls is progress, and while many might wish it were moving faster, it is encouraging to see that Luck is moving forward.