The Facts: The expectation is for Luck, who’s been working out on the West Coast with a pair of throwing specialists, to be on hand April 9 when the Colts open their offseason conditioning program. Owner Jim Irsay did nothing to suppress those expectations Monday when he met with local reporters covering the NFL Owners Meeting. "All indicators are (the) healing is going really well and we feel really optimistic that he’s turned the corner and has a full decade ahead of him of excellence," Irsay said. "That’s a long period of time."

Diehards Line: Luck, who missed all of last season and remains in rehab mode after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in January 2017, turns 29 in September. For perspective, consider New England’s Tom Brady is 40 and New Orleans’ Drew Brees is 39. ... Meanwhile, at the recent NFL Scouting Combine, GM Chris Ballard and HC Frank Reich shared their boss’ optimism. “Do I have any doubt that he’s going to be ready? No, I don’t," Ballard offered. Added Reich: "I’m anticipating that he’s going to be ready to go." The overriding question has been how involved Luck will be once on-field drills begin in mid- and late-April. Irsay made it clear he expects his $140 million QB to be very active during the team’s offseason work. "I expect him to throw quite a bit," he said. "I expect him to channel his Brett Favre, if you will, and just say 'The hell with it. ... Let's go play football, let's go rock and roll.'" It's safe to say Luck's presence cannot be overstated. With him under center, the team is 43-27 in the regular season. Without him, the record plummets to 10-16. So put Irsay's optimism and stridency in context with that as we continue to watch this one.