Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is setting no timetable for his return to action but insists there is no reason for anyone to 'freak out'.
Luck is still rehabbing from off-season shoulder surgery, which he underwent in January, and it seems unlikely that the 27-year-old will be involved in their pre-season matches.
But Luck said fans should not get too concerned over the length of his recovery time and insisted he will be a better player because of the operation he had to deal with a lingering issue in his throwing shoulder.
Indianapolis open their regular season with a trip to play the Los Angeles Rams on September 10.
"I would say that there's no reason to freak out," Luck said.
"I will be better than I was coming into this coming out. I know that. I don't know what day it's going to be, I don't know what week, I don't know when it's going to be but I definitely will be.
"And on that note, football is the greatest team game in the world. No one person is bigger than the team and I've always felt that. We've got a solid, solid team that is forming at this complex. So, no reason to freak out.
"We are not going to rush it. I think that would be the worst thing we could do. The end game is for me to better than I was before I was injured and I don't want to put a date on that."
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The regular season of home and away matches run from September to December 2017, culminating in PlayOffs from January 6, 2018 and the Super Bowl on February 4, 2018 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota to determine the world champion.