Emotional Luck declares retirement from NFL
INDIANAPOLIS — In a stunning improvement, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck introduced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday night time, saying fixed accidents have taken away his love for the sport.
Luck, who turns 30 on Sept. 12, had met with Colts proprietor Jim Irsay earlier to inform him of the choice.
The Colts performed their third preseason sport Saturday night time in Indianapolis in opposition to the Chicago Bears. Luck already had been dominated out of the sport as a consequence of an ankle damage, however he was seen on the sideline, laughing and conversing with teammates.
After the sport, Luck introduced the retirement choice throughout an impromptu information convention. He stated an official announcement wasn’t deliberate till Sunday afternoon, however he modified course as soon as information broke in the course of the preseason sport.
“I have been caught on this course of,” he stated, stopping a number of instances to assemble his feelings. “I have not been capable of reside the life I need to reside. It is taken the enjoyment out of this sport … the one manner ahead for me is to take away myself from soccer.”
Luck’s early retirement ends what began as a promising profession for the No. 1 general choose within the 2012 draft. He led the Colts to the playoffs in every of his first three seasons within the NFL, together with back-to-back AFC South titles and the AFC Championship Sport in 2014.
However his profession took a nasty flip when he suffered a shoulder damage in Week three of the 2015 season. He has missed 26 video games since, together with your entire 2017 season, as a consequence of shoulder, kidney and rib accidents. It was in the course of the 2017 season whereas out that Luck questioned whether or not he would be capable of proceed his profession.
However Luck returned in a giant manner final season.
PlayerAgeRetiredQB Andrew Luck292019TE Rob Gronkowski292019WR Percy Harvin282017OL John Urschel262017WR Calvin Johnson302016RB Marshawn Lynch*292016DL B.J. Raji292016LB Jerod Mayo292016OL Anthony Davis262016LB Patrick Willis302015DL Jason Worilds272015QB Jake Locker262015LB Chris Borland232015* Returned to NFL at age 31– ESPN Stats & Info
He threw for four,593 yards and 39 touchdowns to win NFL Comeback Participant of the Yr and lead the Colts again to the playoffs for the primary time because the 2014 season, exhibiting he remained one of many high quarterbacks within the league.
However damage hit Luck once more earlier this 12 months when he suffered a calf pressure that saved him out of the crew’s offseason actions and minicamp. Luck took half in solely three days of coaching camp — none as a full participant — earlier than it was introduced that he was shutting it down as a result of he had problem transferring within the pocket.
Luck stated July 30 that he would not return till he was 100% wholesome, with a part of the reason is he nonetheless had “emotional scars” from the 2017 season. After not having the ability to get a transparent prognosis on Luck’s damage, Colts basic supervisor Chris Ballard stated two weeks in the past that the quarterback was coping with ache within the excessive ankle space.
Luck advised reporters Saturday night time that he first began fascinated by retirement two weeks in the past.
“I am in ache; I am nonetheless in ache,” he stated.
It is gorgeous information for a Colts crew that went to the second spherical of the playoffs final season and that, within the eyes of many, had a Tremendous Bowl-caliber roster in 2019.
“It’s totally troublesome,” Luck stated. “I really like this crew, I really like my teammates.”
Colts followers weren’t as form, with some booing him as he walked off the sphere after Saturday’s preseason sport.
“I might be mendacity if I stated I did not hear it,” Luck stated of the boos. “Yeah, it damage.”
Now, the Colts will flip to Jacoby Brissett, the 26-year-old quarterback acquired from the New England Patriots in 2017.
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With Andrew Luck retiring, relive his closing landing go within the NFL as he heaves a toss to T.Y. Hilton in the course of the Colts’ playoff loss to the Chiefs.
With Luck coping with a wide range of accidents in 2017, Brissett began 15 video games for Indy, throwing for three,098 yards, with 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Sportsbooks reacted shortly to the Luck information, taking the purpose unfold on the Colts’ Week 1 highway sport on the Chargers off the board and lengthening Indianapolis’ odds to win the Tremendous Bowl.
The Colts had been four-point underdogs to the Chargers. The SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas moved Indianapolis’ Tremendous Bowl odds from 12-1 to 30-1.
Info from ESPN’s David Purdum and Adam Schefter was used on this report.