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Luck retires, calls decision hardest of my life
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.
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.
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.
But injury hit Luck again earlier this year when he suffered a calf strain that kept him out of the team's offseason activities and minicamp. Luck took part in only three days of training camp -- none as a full participant -- before it was announced that he was shutting it down because he had difficulty moving in the pocket.
Luck finishes his career with 2,000 completions, 3,290 attempts, 23,671 yards, 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions. But some Colts fans seemed to forget those numbers, instead booing him as he walked off the field following Saturday's 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.
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.
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.
But injury hit Luck again earlier this year when he suffered a calf strain that kept him out of the team's offseason activities and minicamp. Luck took part in only three days of training camp -- none as a full participant -- before it was announced that he was shutting it down because he had difficulty moving in the pocket.
Luck finishes his career with 2,000 completions, 3,290 attempts, 23,671 yards, 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions. But some Colts fans seemed to forget those numbers, instead booing him as he walked off the field following Saturday's game.