Andrew Luck used to be one of the best quarterbacks in football. Now, he can't even pick up and throw a football. 

It's been 17 months since Luck underwent surgery on his shoulder to fix an issue that the Colts never should've let fester for as long as it did. Despite assurances from Colts owner Jim Irsay that Luck would be ready to go for the 2017 season, Luck's yet to play in an NFL game since the operation. He's not even throwing footballs yet as the Colts prepare for the 2018 season, for which Luck is supposedly going to be ready.

On Thursday, Colts coach Frank Reich expressed optimism that Luck is "real close" to throwing footballs again. But according to Reich, it's not something he can say with certainty because it's going to come down to Luck's heart and instinct.

"I think we're real close (to throwing an actual NFL football)," Reich said, per Zac Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. "Again, I've never been through what he's been through. I could sit here and say what I think but it's gotta come from down in here (points to his heart). There's an instinct as a player, that you now when you're ready to go, and you keep testing it and testing it, and you work with the people you're working (with), and you trust your instinct when you're ready to go."

Interestingly enough, that part about the heart and instinct sounds strikingly similar to something Irsay told former Colts coach Tony Dungy in September.

"Jim Irsay made a comment to me about six weeks ago, 'It's inside his head now,'" Dungy told the "Dan Patrick Show" in November. 

And now, we wait.

The thing is, progress is actually being made, though it's certainly been slow. Luck actually began practicing in April, but he was limited to taking snaps and handoffs. Regardless, it marked the the first time Luck was able to play an "active role" at practice, which is noteworthy. But again, he's still not throwing. In May, general manager Chris Ballard indicated that he expects Luck to return to the field for training camp. 

A year ago, the Colts maintained that Luck would play during the 2017 season. It never happened. So, until we see actual footage of Luck throwing an NFL football, we'll remain skeptical. We're gonna need to see it to believe it at this point. 

It's not an exaggeration to say that the fate of the Colts' season and long-term future depends on Luck's health. Without him in 2017, they went 4-12. With him, they've gone 43-27 during his career.