Reggie Wayne on Andrew Luck's Week 1 status: 'He should be available'

• Regular-season opener: Colts at Rams, 4:05 p.m. Sept. 10

INDIANAPOLIS – Tick, tick, tick.

There's  one month until the Indianapolis Colts’ regular season opener in Los Angeles, and the most pressing question hovering over this franchise remains unanswered. That is: Will star quarterback Andrew Luck be ready to go?

The franchise’s all-time leader in games played chimed in Thursday.

“I have no idea,” offered Reggie Wayne, now an analyst for NFL Network. Then the Colts great added one more thing: “From what I understand, he should be available, so we’ll see.”

It’s uncertain if Wayne owns any insight into Luck’s recovery. He remains friendly with a handful of those inside the organization, namely coach Chuck Pagano, receiver T.Y. Hilton and volunteer coach Robert Mathis.

Luck spent his first three seasons throwing to Wayne, whom he's called one of his all-time favorite teammates.

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The Colts, meanwhile, have repeatedly cautioned patience — “there is no timetable,” is Pagano’s go-to line. First-year General Manager Chris Ballard, addressing the media shortly before training camp began in late July, said the plan is to bring Luck off the physically unable to perform list at some point before the opener. His status for the opener, though, is no sure thing.

Ballard spoke Thursday on   “The Dan Dakich Show” on WFNI-AM (1070) and reiterated the team’s position.

“What we can’t do is have short-term thinking,” Ballard said. “I think everybody has to remember that.”

Asked about the team’s decision to eschew signing a veteran free agent at the position — backup Scott Tolzien and third-stringer Stephen Morris have largely struggled during camp — Ballard defended his quarterback depth. Rookie fourth-stringer Phillip Walker, out of Temple, has seen increased reps this week ahead of the team’s first preseason game Sunday against the Lions.

Regardless, none of the QBs has been particularly impressive.

“Right now, we’re comfortable with Scott, Morris and right now we like Walker,” Ballard said.

Even when Luck does return, it’s a near certainty he won’t be in top form. There will be rust to shake off, timing to develop. Wayne knows. Peyton Manning missed the 2008 preseason, sidelined by a knee injury, and returned for the opener. He wasn’t himself.

The Colts slogged to a 3-4 start before blitzing to nine straight wins to close the regular season. Manning won MVP.

“You need your quarterback and receiver to be on the same page, and that takes a little bit,” Wayne said. “So when Andrew is available to throw — whether it’s before practice, after practice — him and his receivers are going to have to do that much more as far as getting extra work in on the field.”

Wayne added one more interesting tidbit from 2008: With Manning temporarily shelved, the Colts’ offense honed in on the run game, knowing he wouldn’t be as sharp as usual when he returned.

“We stressed making sure our running game was on point,” Wayne said. “We kind of force-fed ourselves on the run game to make sure it was ready to go just in case our quarterback does start off sluggish.

“We all know that the Colts have been struggling in the run game, so there’s no way they should come out of this preseason and not be a better running team.”

Wayne makes a good point.

The Colts haven’t ranked in the top 20 in rushing in nine years. A deeper and more versatile backfield this season, featuring Frank Gore, Robert Turbin and rookie Marlon Mack, could change that. Not to mention an improved offensive line.

Call IndyStar reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134. Follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.