Star 29 year old quarterback, Andrew Luck, shocked the nation last Saturday, when the news was announced that he planned to retire before the start of his 8th season in the National Football League. The Colts were poised for a deep postseason run, with Luck, with 2nd year Colt TE Eric Ebron, star wideout TY Hilton, and up and coming running back Marlon Mack.
Luck was the number 2 pick in 2012, coming out of Stanford. The Colts looked at him as their savior, after the departure of the bruised Peyton Manning to Denver. Luck looked very poised to fill that role, attending 4 Pro Bowls, in his 7 seasons. The problem was that the injury bug wouldn’t leave him be. From 2015 to the present day Luck totaled up a diverse portfolio of injuries such as: sprained shoulder, lacerated kidney, partially torn abdominal muscle, torn cartilage, concussion, shoulder surgery to repair damaged labrum, and finally the calf strain that contributed to his final goodbye.
It’s understandable, that he retired, considering the multitude of injuries he has been plagued with. Luck is a very smart guy, with a degree in architectural design, from Stanford, one of the most prestigious schools in America. He wanted to have a future, where he was fully in control with his body. This came as a major disappointment to Colts fans, who booed Andrew off the field, of their Week 3 Preseason game, where the news leaked. It is understandable that they were disappointed that he didn’t announce this earlier in the off season, but this is the guy that was your franchise QB 5 minutes before the news.
He brought much more success than Indianapolis had in 2011 with a mix of starting quarterbacks, Curtis Painter(who), Dan Orlovski(what), or Kerry Collins(where). He developed the team from a 2-14 tanker, for Luck, to a top tier AFC team, with 4 playoff experiences during his era. Colts fans were certainly excited for this 2019 season, after earning ESPN’s highest offseason grade, an A-. This was after offseason acquisitions of pass rusher Justin Houston, and promising receiver, Devin Funchess. Now they have to turn to 3rd year qb, Jacoby Brissett. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2016, and in the stacked quarterback room of The GOAT: Tom Brady, The Future Jimmy Garoppolo, and now the Colts present in himself. He was traded in 2017 to the Colts, and started for them, with Luck out, in 2017. He was an about average QB, with a 4-11 record and a tough situation.
Now he will have the floor all to himself, in Indianapolis. Can he fill Luck’s massive shoes? Time will certainly tell.
4th and Short Sports 