The Indianapolis Colt’s franchise quarter and 2012’s first overall pick, Andrew Luck, is unexpectedly retiring. His retirement astounded the sports world by announcing his retirement at 29, just two weeks before the beginning of the 2019 NFL season. Luck planned to announce his retirement to his team and the media after the Chicago game. The news spread like fire throughout the Lucas Oil Stadium.
Luck’s retirement was also shocking as he left an estimated $450 million of future salary on the table as he was named the Pro Bowl of 2018 NFL. He had also won the 2019 NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award. Despite a series of injuries he suffered in his career, his retirement surprised everyone as he quit at a young age. Here is why he took retirement at a young age.
Who is Andrew Luck?
Andrew Luck stepped foot in the sports world in 2012 when he was made the first overall pick of the NFL Draft of Stanford University by the Indianapolis Colts. Luck earned more than $97 million in his previous seven seasons in NFL.
Luck made four Pro Bowl teams and led the Colts to the playoffs four times. But then he decided to take retirement as he suffered a series of injuries while preparing for the 2019 NFL season. His 2016 contract extension made him the highest-paid NFL player with a $23 million average salary per season. Had he recovered from his injuries, he would have signed another deal making him the best-placed player.
History of Injury
Despite his short career, Andrew Luck has been beaten to shreds. Luck has got enough injury for a lifetime, but even in pain, he battled through the pain to play on Sundays. Luck suffered a series of injuries in his sports career, including a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, which was the reason he had to miss the 2017 season. He also missed the 2015 season due to a lacerated kidney.
Physical toll on Andrew Luck through 6 NFL seasons:
» Torn cartilage in 2 ribs
» partially torn abdomen
» a lacerated kidney that left him peeing blood
» at least 1 concussion
» a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder
» and this mysterious calf/ankle issue that led to this
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) August 25, 2019
The list of injuries shows how painful Luck’s career was for him. The list of injuries is enough for a lifetime, yet he got this within six years of the NFL. However, Luck was from a mysterious ankle injury. He referred to his problems as “a myriad of issues” as he was stuck in a loop of injury, rehab, and pain.
Why did Andrew Luck Retire?
At the age of 29, after playing six NFL seasons in seven years, Luck decided to retire due to the physical and mental damage he suffered from the injuries. Luck missed the entire 2017 season due to his torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. He also suffered a lot of pain after playing in the 2016 season of the NFL.
Luck suffered a nightmare series of injuries beyond his caliber throughout his NFL career. He was banged up in most games, for which he missed a season and a half of the NFL season. Luck mentioned in a news conference that his retirement was “the hardest decision of his life.” He also said in a press conference:
“I have not been able to live the life I want as I am stuck, and now I feel that this process has taken the joy out of the game. The only way left for me to come out of it is by withdrawing myself from football. And I know this is not going to be an easy decision for me. This will be the hardest decision of my life, but this is the only right choice for me.”
However, he also stated that “it was the right decision for him.” He also mentioned that football players have a life of their own and are human beings first, so he prioritized his health. Luck’s decision was commendable as he chose what was suitable for him.
After missing the 2015 and 2017 NFL seasons due to injury, Luck did not jeopardize his health by taking any more injuries. However, he was suffering from some mysterious ankle injury that was not healing. So, to get long-term relief from injury, pain, and rehab, he figured out that retirement was the only way out of his injuries.
Concluding Thoughts
After Andrew Luck took retirement from NFL, his fans always missed him on the football ground. When the Lucas Oil Stadium audience heard Luck’s retirement news, the entire audience of Indianapolis Colts fans in the stadium booed their franchise quarterback.
However, after retirement from NFL, Luck is spending more time with his wife, Nicole Pechanec, and his daughter Lucy. He always wanted to spend time with his family during his career, but his busy schedule and traveling did not allow him to do so.
Luck has also seen visiting Summit High School for football practice sessions on a ski trip to Summit Country, Colorado. He made some rare public appearances in the Lucas Oil Stadium; he attended the match against Alabama and Georgia in the stadium.
He spoke to both team players and signed some items for the fans. Are you a football fan, and do you watch NFL seasons? Comment below if you miss Andrew Luck after he retires from NFL.