Posted on 08/28/2019 5:08:08 PM PDT by Kaslin
Andrew Luck, who had signed a $140 million extension with the Indianapolis Colts, decided to retire at the age of 29. Still young. Still, in his prime, the Colts’ franchise quarterback decided to call it quits two weeks before the start of the regular season. The announcement sent shockwaves through the NFL and the sports journalism world. Luck appeared to be ready for the 2019 season, saying in December that he pretty much was loving the game the most out of any point in his career at that point. Yet, Luck has been marred by injuries: a shoulder injury that left him sidelined for the entire 2017 season, a lacerated kidney, a partially torn abdomen, and now this mysterious ankle injury. Luck is walking out on anywhere between $250-500 million. In an emotional press conference, Luck said that brutal cycle of injury, rehab, injury, and rehab had caused him to rethink what’s important in life; he wasn’t able to live the way he wanted. The August 24th announcement is considered by some to be the biggest NFL scoop of the Twitter era and it was NFL insider Adam Schefter who nabbed it (via The Big Lead):
Andrew Luck's FULL Retirement Press Conference | NFL News
Even as we’ve had the day to digest the news that Andrew Luck is retiring at 29, Adam Schefter’s Saturday night scoop came from beyond the clouds. You had to check the news eight times to make sure it wasn’t some troll job. When it became clear the news was real, it was jaw-dropping. Thinking about it, it’s the biggest single NFL scoop since advent of Twitter in 2006, and it could even go back a lot further than that. Certainly, there have been bigger broader stories than this one. The Mort 12 football Deflategate scoop would’ve been bigger than this had that info not wound up being marred by intel from the league side that was at best misleading and possibly false. Colin Kaepernick, Aaron Hernandez, Darren Sharper, Ray Rice, Spygate, Bountygate and CTE have all been bigger story subjects but there’s not really a transactional scoop that everybody associates with them. […] To get to the same scoop realm, I think you need to go all the way back to Chris Mortensen breaking the news late at night on ESPN in July of 1999 that Barry Sanders was retiring from the Lions. In a brief Twitter exchange with me, Mort said he agrees that Luck is the biggest scoop since Sanders and that this one is even bigger. I’ll defer to his knowledge here, but think you could make a reasonable argument the Sanders news was a bigger stunner since he was healthy whereas Luck has been battling arm and leg injuries for several years.
Luck didn’t suffer a career-ending injury, but he has been beaten to a pulp for most of his seven-year tenure in the NFL. The young QB took punishment. The injury history bears that out. It goes without saying, you need to protect your quarterback. You can give him all the weapons on offense if there is no protection--it isn't worth a damn. Yes, there are some notable exceptions concerning QBs who work behind some bad offensive lines. Seattle’s Russell Wilson has been running for his life for a bit now, but he’s able to extend plays and wins games. Houston's Deshaun Watson could win the AFC South for the Texans, but that offensive line has been trouble as well, expect him to also be running around like crazy as the pocket collapses around him. Overall, it leaves your most important position player vulnerable to injury and Watson has been injured; he tore his ACL in 2017. Also, it impacts the run game; you've got to give your running backs a lane they can exploit.
The New York Giants’ Eli Manning has also suffered under horrendous offensive line play, which has produced miserable results for the franchise (I know there are other factors), but the trade-off, in terms of player health, is that Manning is an ironman. In his 16-year career, he’s never been injured.
Nick and Cris react to Andrew Luck retiring after 7 seasons with Colts | NFL | FIRST THINGS FIRST
How will the Colts offense change with Jacoby Brissett as the starter? | NFL | FIRST THINGS FIRST
Luck was talented, certainly one who would win a Super Bowl, but he was at the end of his rope after seven years. What also stuck out was the fan reaction: they booed him. Luck didn’t plan on doing his retirement presser over the weekend, but Schefter moved up that timeline. Is it an a-hole move? Schefter has a job too and if he had enough to go with this story, it was only a matter of time before a competitor did.
The fans booing him off the field in the preseason game against the Bears drew widespread condemnation, but in the heat of the moment, I can’t blame the fans. It was still the wrong reaction, but the booing could be viewed as a culmination of a few things: the front office neglecting to protect Luck, the fact that the news broke prior to the regular season, the fact that the Colts have the personnel that can protect him, weapons on offense, and on paper—a championship-caliber roster. That’s now all cast in doubt with Luck’s departure. It’s disappointing—and we’ve all had moments where our initial reaction wasn’t the best. And we all handle it differently. That doesn’t mean what these folks did to the now-former face of their franchise was right and there is a side that isn’t totally out of line when they say this move should have occurred way earlier in the offseason. For now, the Colts turn to Jacoby Brissett to fill Luck’s shoes. The Colts still have weapons in wideout T.Y Hilton, running back Marlon Mack, and tight ends Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron. They also have an offensive line. Colts Nation took a kidney punch, but hardly the punishment Luck endured. It’s sad to see talent go so soon, but the average NFL career lasts two years. There’s a reason why they say the initials stand for Not For Long.
Best of Luck…there’s no way to write that without being punny.
Andrew Luck's 1st Game in Indy! (Vikings vs. Colts, 2012)
Lots of good argument on both sides of the question. Since I stopped watching football a few years ago, I realized that the most important consideration for me is that I was 29 and healthy.
Latest rumor I hear is that they are looking at Brock Osweiler.
Oops, forgot to cite my source:
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27485009/colts-bring-vet-qb-osweiler-visit
He could always come back in a year or 2. The problem is the NFL. Too many serious injuries. Those that are smart would quit b4 age 30-after the 2nd contract.
Does Luck have at least one million dollars in the bank? If so, he made the right decision. Players who play too long end up with concussion problems, joint problems, arthritis, etc.
Why take that risk if you don’t have to? I wish Luck a lot of luck (no pun intended). Go to some beach somewhere in good health, and enjoy your money.
I am sure Luck has looked at all the former players who played well into their 30s who are now in their 50s and crippled. With good rest and rehab all his injuries should heal up just fine when he can enjoy middle age instead of looking forward to hip, knee, and should replacements along with spinal fusion surgery.
It’s his life, his body, and his decision. Yes it’s going to make for a rough season for the Colts. But that’s life in the NFL. Every single player is one play from retirement. Just ask Joe Theismann.
> Those that are smart would quit b4 age 30 <
Yep. And that might be a good rule for the NFL (and for boxing). Mandatory retirement at age 30. On the other hand, it’s a free country. So if you want to risk brain injury when you’re 35, maybe it’s your right to do so. Just don’t complain after you’ve made that decision.
Agreed. But it’s gotta be hard to walk away from almost half a BILLION dollars!!!
But his net worth is 100 million so he’ll scrape by.
He won’t live like us, but he’ll live ok.
And then he can start typing on FR in his down time :)
Has Matt Vespa ever been punched in his face in his life? Just asking.
That Kaepernut guy is perennially available too.
Cpl of local drive time hosts were messing with us this afternoon. Kept saying there is a three syllable QB the colts were talking to in essence suggesting CrapperDick.
I was relieved to hear it was Osweiler
Adam Schefter began his career on the Broncos beat in Denver. He must have an amazing network of sources. He always comes up with the best stories and scoops.
I think they were saying someone close to Luck gave this tip to Schefter, in hopes of a future favor.
That said, supposedly Luck had already told the Colts last Wednesday about his decision and they were going to have a presser on Sunday - like you could keep news that important under wraps for 4 days ...
Colts Management looks kind of inept in all this
I never took to Andrew Luck. I still say he looks like an ape.
But, if he’s hurting(over yrs), I don’t begrudge him hanging up the cleats.
That’s exactly why I think this sort of scenario is going to become more commonplace in the NFL with highly-paid players.
$140 million to run around?
Luck is smart, vert smart.
He is making the right move.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.