Colts fans should be encouraged to see Andrew Luck return to practice

It’s still a long road ahead, but Indianapolis Colts fans should be pleased to see Andrew Luck back on the field.

It’s been a while since the Indianapolis Colts have received encouraging news about the future of quarterback Andrew Luck. No one should go crazy about his return to the practice field today, but it’s a baby step in the right direction for the team’s franchise quarterback.

Luck didn’t so much as throw a ball today, so we shouldn’t go overboard about his readiness or recovery. He did, however, hand the ball off to some of his teammates. We aren’t talking about life-changing progress here, but there are plenty of other NFL quarterbacks who didn’t throw any passes in practice today, either.

The encouraging thing for Colts fans is that he’s on the field, doing something routine. That bodes well for his recovery schedule. The important thing for Indianapolis isn’t that Luck is ready to play a game today, it’s that they can continue to escalate his involvement with the team as the regular season gets closer.

The real question is whether or not we’ll see Luck continue to progress in the near future. It would be an unexpected positive if he could be a full participant with the team once it comes together after the Draft. That might be a bit ambitious, but anything close to that timeline should please the Colts fan base.

It will be quite telling whether or not the Colts choose to let Luck participate in any of the team’s preseason games. Throwing balls in practice with the red jersey on is one thing. Suiting up for your team and playing against a defense that wants to plant you in the turf is quite another. Don’t be at all surprised if the Colts coaching staff chooses to save Luck from live action until the regular season opener.

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All of those are questions for a different day. At least today, Colts fans can be excited about seeing Andrew Luck back out on the field participating in football activities. It’s a positive sign for the franchise’s most important player.