Top Takeaways: Jim Irsay At NFL Owners Meetings

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» Once a “concern and focus,” Andrew Luck’s availability is no longer a storyline: Unable to work his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, Andrew Luck had to sit out the entire 2017 season and try to recalibrate his rehab and recovery process to ensure he’d be good to go for 2018. Luck, of course, did just that, turning in perhaps his best-overall performance in his career, and earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors for his efforts. The chat with Irsay on Tuesday was a far cry from his owners meetings availability a year ago, when the team was certainly optimistic about Luck’s return, but didn’t quite know exactly when that would be. Currently, Luck is focusing solely on football, and not his shoulder — which is music to Irsay’s ears. “Boy, it was really a concern and focus and a reason to have some sleepless nights. But the fact that he's doing this well is just tremendous because we know that that position,” Irsay said. “It was all rehab, rehab, rehab, but this offseason we finally have a chance to work on some football things. And things that can make him just a better quarterback. And he's excited about that because he doesn't have to have that ultra-uber focus on just the health of his right shoulder. So I look to see Andrew continue to ascend. And he's our leader and he's a guy that we're just really proud to have as our quarterback and our guy that we have so much faith in that can get it done for us. And it's tremendous not to have to think about that man. I mean, trust me, honestly, it was a tough road for everyone, mostly for him. And that's the reason this past season was really a great ... It was really exciting that Andrew could experience that.”