Andrew Luck stuns Colts with NFL retirement
The Indianapolis Colts were supposed to be one of the Super Bowl contenders this season. Now, at 29 years old, he’s retiring from the game.
Andrew Luck has left football behind him.
After missing all fo 2017 with a shoulder injury and then being sidelined all of 2019 thus far with calf and ankle injuries, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Luck is announcing his retirement on Sunday.
Breaking: Andrew Luck has informed the Colts he is retiring from the NFL, a league source tells @AdamSchefter.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 25, 2019
There will be a press conference Sunday to make it official, but Luck is mentally worn down, and now checking out. pic.twitter.com/9qwpWjfdYX
At 29 years old, this is a stunning move. Reports have been mysterious about the severity of his strained calf, but the belief was he would return. Instead, this appears to be more of a mental issue for Luck, who simply is tired of dealing with a body which won’t cooperate. In Luck’s absence, the Colts now turn to veteran backup Jacoby Brissett.
The levels of which this is shocking are numerous. Not only is Luck in the prime of his career, but this Colts team figured to be the best he’s ever been part of. Additionally, Luck’s contract still has a whopping $78 million on it over the next three seasons, including $31 million in base salary. By retiring, Luck walks away from all of it, leaving Indianapolis oodles of cap space but a gaping hole almost impossible to fill.
The No. 1 overall pick in 2012, Luck earned four Pro Bowl berths. For his career, he threw 171 touchdowns against 83 interceptions and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 after guiding Indianapolis to a 10-6 finish and a win in the Wild Card round against the Houston Texans.