Luck retires, calls resolution ‘hardest of my life’
INDIANAPOLIS — In a stunning improvement Saturday night time, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck introduced his retirement from the NFL, 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 on account of an ankle damage, however he was seen on the sideline, laughing and conversing with teammates.
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After the sport, Luck introduced the retirement resolution throughout an impromptu, 25-minute information convention. He mentioned 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,” Luck mentioned, stopping a number of instances to assemble his feelings. “I have never been in a position to dwell the life I need to dwell. It is taken the enjoyment out of this sport … the one approach ahead for me is to take away myself from soccer.
“This isn’t a straightforward resolution. It is the toughest resolution of my life. However it’s the proper resolution for me.”
Luck’s early retirement ends what began as a promising profession for the No. 1 general decide within the 2012 draft, chosen to exchange Peyton Manning. Luck 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 Recreation in 2014.
However his profession took a nasty flip when he suffered a shoulder damage in Week three of the 2015 season. He ended up lacking 26 video games — together with the complete 2017 season — on account 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 to proceed his profession.
However Luck returned in an enormous approach final season.
It was alleged to be only a common Saturday night time within the preseason. However then Andrew Luck introduced his retirement, sending shock waves throughout the league. A have a look at how a number of the QBs whose groups performed Saturday night time reacted to the information:
Deshaun Watson: “It was mind-blowing. It was one thing that after all caught everybody off guard. However, hey, he can management his personal future. He is an ideal participant. He is an ideal quarterback. One of many high 5 quarterbacks within the league. And he is doing it for the best causes. For himself.”
Drew Brees: “I feel I am most likely like all people else. A bit shocked and shocked, too. We heard it after we had been on the sideline, truly — any person had gotten wind of it in the course of the sport. Pay attention, Andrew’s a buddy. I will trade textual content messages with him every now and then. So I will be reaching out to him to examine on him.”
Dak Prescott: “I imply helluva participant, helluva participant. Helluva man the little bit I do know of him with the ability to discuss to him earlier than a sport and sharing just a little little bit of issues. … So respect his resolution, want him one of the best. Simply know that he was one in all my favourite gamers to look at across the league and be taught little issues from. Hate to see an ideal participant like that depart the sport, however like I mentioned, do not know the main points, do not need to communicate on that. I am not entitled to an opinion on that.”
Patrick Mahomes: “Understanding Andrew, he is an ideal soccer participant, however he is additionally an ideal human being. I have never seen the total [scope] of the information, however I do know he’ll make the best resolution for himself and his household.”
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 for the reason that 2014 season, displaying 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 stored 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 shifting within the pocket.
“I am in ache; I am nonetheless in ache,” he mentioned. “It has been 4 years of this ache, rehab cycle. It is a myriad of points — calf pressure, posterior ankle impingement, excessive ankle sprain. A part of my journey going ahead shall be determining easy methods to really feel higher.”
Luck advised reporters Saturday night time that he first began serious about retirement two weeks in the past, and common supervisor Chris Ballard mentioned the perimeters began discussing the potential resolution early final week.
“It was Monday,” Ballard mentioned. “All of us sat down and had a chat and continued by the week. Emotional talks on our elements. Not any unfavorable emotional talks. Just a few actual trustworthy talks. However didn’t get a way. I watched Andrew undergo the shoulder, his routine and the way he rehabbed and labored by issues. He was going by the identical course of all the best way from when he walked within the constructing. He got here in Monday and began working by this.”
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 is very tough,” Luck mentioned. “I really like this crew, I really like my teammates.”
Luck finishes his profession with 2,000 completions, three,290 makes an attempt, 23,671 yards, 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions. However some Colts followers appeared to neglect these numbers, as a substitute booing him as he walked off the sector following Saturday’s sport.
“I would be mendacity if I mentioned I did not hear it,” Luck mentioned of the boos. “Yeah, it damage.”
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Colts followers react with a variety of feelings after Andrew Luck’s retirement turns into public, together with boos for Luck as he leaves the sector.
Now, the Colts will flip to Jacoby Brissett, the 26-year-old quarterback acquired from the New England Patriots in 2017.
With Luck coping with quite a lot of accidents in 2017, Brissett began 15 video games for Indy, throwing for three,098 yards, with 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. The Colts posted a Four-11 document in Brissett’s 15 begins, and he ranked 27th out of 30 certified quarterbacks with a 43.three Complete QBR and 30th out of 32 certified QBs with a 58.eight% completion share.
171: Profession passing TDs, essentially the most of any participant to not play a sport after his 30th birthday.
86: Variety of video games he performed within the NFL out of a doable 112 (he missed 16 in 2017 on account of shoulder; 1 in ’16 on account of concussion; 7 in ’15 on account of kidney; 2 in ’15 on account of shoulder)
39: TD passes final season, most by any QB in NFL historical past after not enjoying earlier season
33: Wins in his first three seasons, tied for the second most by a QB of their first three seasons in the course of the Tremendous Bowl period (Russell Wilson 36; Dan Marino and Matt Ryan 33)
19.6: Common fantasy factors since coming into league in 2012, third-most PPG amongst QBs throughout that span
three: Luck’s ranks in Colts’ all-time historical past in move yards (23,671), move TDs (171), completions (2,000) and QB wins (53)
–ESPN Stats & Data
However Luck, Ballard, Irsay and coach Frank Reich all threw their help behind Brissett with the common season two weeks away.
“We have an excellent soccer crew. This can be a good soccer crew,” Ballard mentioned. “We’re younger. We’re good on each fronts. We have now some good talent gamers. And an excellent younger quarterback. We’re not going to ask Jacoby Brissett to be Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck was a singular, distinctive participant. However Jacoby Brissett is a successful soccer participant on this league and, I feel you heard what Andrew mentioned, Jacoby Brissett is a uncommon, uncommon chief. He’s. He is a uncommon human being, man. That locker room loves Jacoby Brissett.”
Sportsbooks reacted rapidly to the Luck information, taking the purpose unfold on the Colts’ Week 1 street sport on the Chargers off the board and lengthening Indianapolis’ odds to win the Tremendous Bowl, the AFC and the AFC South.
The Colts had been four-point underdogs to the Chargers. Caesars Sportsbook moved Indianapolis’ Tremendous Bowl odds from 12-1 to 30-1, its AFC odds from 7-1 to 15-1, and its AFC South odds from -135 to +210.
However that mattered little to the Colts on a franchise-changing night time.
“We have now nothing however gratitude and thankfulness for the blood, sweat and tears he spilled as No. 12,” Irsay mentioned. “A part of our coronary heart is damaged tonight. We all know we should go ahead.”
Data from ESPN’s David Purdum and Adam Schefter was used on this report.