Andrew Luck on Looming Mega-deal: ‘I’m a Colt, and I’m 100% Invested in this team’

With Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay anticipating a deal getting done before the start of late July’s training camp, his star quarterback Andrew Luck also remains optimistic that a new contract extension can be reached between both sides soon:

"“I anticipate it getting done,” Andrew Luck recently told ESPN’s Bob Holtzman in an interview before his Change the Play camp in Fort Wayne, IN. “I’m not going to put a timeframe on it because I don’t think that’s fair to either side, but I anticipate it getting done. Regardless of what happens, I’m a Colt, and I’m 100% invested in this team.”“You’re not going anywhere else?” asked Holtzman. “No,” nonchalantly replied Luck."

Obviously, a player’s uncertain contract situation can negatively impact his play on the field–especially one as massive as Luck’s projects to be.

The 4th-year quarterback is set to play on a $16.12 million team option in 2016, which is the last remaining year of his rookie contract from 2012.

However, the number on his next contract is expected to be a “shocking number” and could pay him as much as $25-30 million annually on a new deal that will assuredly eclipse $100 million in total value–maybe much more.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, Luck insisted that his contract chatter has not negatively affected him either on or off-the-field.

Rather, he’s simply working hard to become the best football player he can be this offseason:

"“Not often, I’m obviously aware of what’s going on,” said Luck on whether his ongoing contracts negotiations wear on him. “It’s important to me since it’s the future like of any player, anybody in a contract situation knows what’s going on. But I don’t think about it too much at all unless I’m talking to my agent about what’s happened and so beyond that. But again, it doesn’t wear on me, and I don’t want it to wear on me because that takes away from being the best football player that you can be.”"

Of course, the only way for Luck to get better on-the-field is to actually be healthy on it.

The quarterback realizes however that he wasn’t playing his best football even before the injuries and the season-ending lacerated kidney injury that cost him the team’s final 7 regular season games.

"“Yeah, looking back on it, injuries aside, I was not playing good football,” said Luck. “I realized it’s got to be better. Towards my last couple of games, I thought I was playing much better–trending in the right direction.”"

It goes without saying, but the Colts would be wise to get their franchise player locked up sooner rather than later, especially with NFL contracts continuing to inflate in total value–particularly at the quarterback position.

The success of the Colts season will once again rest squarely on Luck’s shoulders, and it’ll be interesting to see how far #12 can take them this upcoming year–presumably after receiving a well-earned massive payday.