With the regular season two weeks away, no one was expecting this news. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck reportedly informed the Indianapolis Colts that he was retiring from the NFL.
The official announcement will come Sunday.
Filed to ESPN: Andrew Luck has informed the Colts he is retiring from the NFL, per source. There will be a press conference Sunday to make it official, but Luck is mentally worn down, and now checking out.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2019
Luck has been dealing with a calf and high ankle sprain all season, but there was no indication this was even a possibility.
According to Schefter, Luck has met with Colts owner Jim Irsay and informed him of his decision.
Needless to say, this is shocking news and Luck was one of the league’s real superstars. His departure dramatically changes the total AFC playoff picture and the AFC South in particular, a division which the Colts would have been a favorite to win. Any chance of a playoff or Super Bowl appearance leaves the building with Luck.
Luck was a four-time Pro Bowler and 2018’s Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year. He led the team to a 10-6 finish and Wild Card berth last season after missing all of 2017 with a shoulder issue.
If this really is the end for the former No. 1 overall pick, he hangs up his spurs with a 57-37 career record, 3,290 passing yards, 171 touchdowns, 83 interceptions and a career completion percentage of 60.8.
This is a blow to the entire NFL. While there are 32 NFL franchises, there aren’t 32 franchise quarterbacks. Luck unquestionably made that cut and for Indy, they go from being a perennial contender, to now searching for a guy who can step in and run the offense once again.
Former back up Jacoby Brissett will now be the unquestioned starter. Brissett came over from the New England Patriots in 2017 via a trade. He was originally a third round pick out of North Carolina State in 2016 by the Patriots. Brissett went 4-11 with the Colts in 2017, completing 58.8 percent of his passes for 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
