Training camp for the Colts opened with quarterback Andrew Luck being placed on the physically unable to perform list and Luck stopped well short of saying he’d be ready to go by the start of the regular season after having surgery on his right shoulder, which means getting backup Scott Tolzien ready to play has been a major priority this summer.
Tolzien appeared in three games for the Colts last year and started their 28-7 loss to the Steelers on Thanksgiving with Luck out of the lineup due to a concussion. He was 22-of-36 for 205 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in that start, his first since 2013 with the Packers, and has spent plenty of time running the offense this offseason.
Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski said the backup has done “a nice job preparing himself” for the possibility of future starts over that time and that the team’s comfort level with Tolzien is in a good place.
“I think the command that he has of the offense right now, the confidence he has in knowing exactly what we are looking to do and what he needs to do on particular plays,” Chudzinski said, via ESPN.com. “I think the confidence with the guys around him has grown.”
Chudzinski didn’t offer a comparison to the confidence level with Luck, which is presumably still higher than it is with Tolzien. That won’t matter if Luck’s not healthy enough to go in September, however, and the prospect is one that no one around the team can ignore as it draws closer.