BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Luck retires, calls decision 'hardest of my life'
Saying constant injuries have taken the joy out of the game, Andrew Luck announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday night.
INDIANAPOLIS -- In a shocking development Saturday night, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announced his retirement from the NFL, saying constant injuries have taken away his love for the game.
Luck, who turns 30 on Sept. 12, had met with Colts owner Jim Irsay earlier to tell him of the decision.
The Colts played their third preseason game Saturday night in Indianapolis against the Chicago Bears. Luck already had been ruled out of the game due to an ankle injury, but he was seen on the sideline, laughing and conversing with teammates.
After the game, Luck announced the retirement decision during an impromptu, 25-minute news conference. He said an official announcement wasn't planned until Sunday afternoon, but he changed course once news broke during the preseason game.
"I've been stuck in this process," Luck said, stopping several times to gather his emotions. "I haven't been able to live the life I want to live. It's taken the joy out of this game ... the only way forward for me is to remove myself from football.
"This is not an easy decision. It's the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me.''
Luck's early retirement ends what started as a promising career for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, chosen to replace Peyton Manning. Luck led the Colts to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, including back-to-back AFC South titles and the AFC Championship Game in 2014.
But his career took a bad turn when he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 3 of the 2015 season. He ended up missing 26 games -- including the entire 2017 season -- due to shoulder, kidney and rib injuries. It was during the 2017 season while out that Luck questioned whether he would be able to continue his career.
But Luck returned in a big way last season.
QBs Across NFL React to Luck News
It was supposed to be just a regular Saturday night in the preseason. But then Andrew Luck announced his retirement, sending shock waves across the league. A look at how some of the QBs whose teams played Saturday night reacted to the news:
Deshaun Watson: "It was mind-blowing. It was something that of course caught everyone off guard. But, hey, he can control his own future. He's a great player. He's a great quarterback. One of the top five quarterbacks in the league. And he's doing it for the right reasons. For himself."
Drew Brees: "I think I'm probably like everybody else. A bit surprised and stunned, too. We heard it when we were on the sideline, actually -- somebody had gotten wind of it during the game. Listen, Andrew's a friend. I'll exchange text messages with him from time to time. So I'll be reaching out to him to check on him."
Dak Prescott: "I mean helluva player, helluva player. Helluva guy the little bit I know of him being able to talk to him before a game and sharing a little bit of things. ... So respect his decision, wish him the best. Just know that he was one of my favorite players to watch around the league and learn little things from. Hate to see a great player like that leave the game, but like I said, don't know the details, don't want to speak on that. I'm not entitled to an opinion on that."
Patrick Mahomes: "Knowing Andrew, he's a great football player, but he's also a great human being. I haven't seen the full [scope] of the news, but I know he's going to make the right decision for himself and his family.''
He threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year and lead the Colts back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season, showing he remained one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
