Fansided

5 reasons Andrew Luck extension is a bad move for Colts

By John Buhler

Jan 18, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) runs off the field after losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) runs off the field after losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck walks to the locker room at half time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck walks to the locker room at half time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

2. What if he gets hurt again?

Well, these questions will come up anytime a player receives a lengthy and expensive contract extension: Will he live up to the hype of the contract? What if he gets hurt?

While Luck has the pure football talent to ultimately be worth every penny of that $140 million extension, he is coming off a massively disappointing 2015 NFL season where he got hurt and missed half of the season.

Luck went 2-5 as a starter last fall before suffering a lacerated kidney in a hard-fought victory over the eventual Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos. In his absence, the Colts actually played better with aging Matt Hasselbeck as the starting quarterback, going 6-3 in the other nine games. Unfortunately, 8-8 wasn’t a strong enough record to win the weak AFC South, as Houston came out on top with a 9-7 season mark.

Luck is a fearless competitor and is a great athlete at 6’4″. He’s not afraid to get hit and seems to actually enjoy the contact part of the game of football. He’ll congratulate pass rushers for a great hit on him, just to mess with their heads. Luck also has been known to scramble for that extra yard or two on the ground.

The problem with embracing contact as much as he does is that it can and will lead to injuries like he had in 2015. If Luck doesn’t change his playing style to be strictly a pocket passer, he’ll be on the sideline in a sling, wearing a ball cap and a headset, helping his backup quarterback try to bring the Colts to victory.

The Colts can’t have their $140 million man sitting on the bench due to injury for any length of any of the next six seasons for the deal to be worth it for Indianapolis.

Next: 1. How will team building go with all that guaranteed money?

Home/NFL