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As NFL fans sat back and watched the Indianapolis Colts get outscored 33-0 in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s 54-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, some may have wondered how the franchise had fallen so far.
Sure, it’s easy to point to interim head coach Jeff Saturday. But Indianapolis’ issues run far deeper than that. The majority of the problem it rooted in the lack of a franchise quarterback. The Colts felt they had just that with former No. 1 overall pick and four-time Pro Bowler Andrew Luck.
And they did! That is until they didn’t.
Luck shockingly retired in 2019 at the age of 29, citing the fact that he was “mentally worn out.” Now he’s decided to open up about that decision and talk about what comes next for him after three years out of the league.
Andrew Luck Offers Deeper Look Into Decision To Abruptly Retire
Luck recently sat down with ESPN’s Seth Wickersham to talk about everything surrounding his retirement. They discussed what led to this decision, his emotions surrounding announcing his sudden retirement, and what he’s doing now that he’s not playing in the NFL.
The former star quarterback talked about the chronic injuries he suffered and how he struggled to find an identity other than just as a quarterback.
Ultimately, Luck told Wickersham that the decision to retire came down to wanting to be more than just the Colts quarterback. He had recently married his longtime girlfriend Nicole. The pair were expecting their first child together, and Luck was once again fighting through chronic pain.
Now Luck says he spends his time fishing, skiing, or making breakfast for his wife. He only recently began to watch football again and appears to have no interest in a return to the field.
He was recently admitted to the Stanford graduate school of education. Luck says he’d like to teach and get into coaching.
“If I were to coach, what would I bring?,” he said to Wickersham. “Well, certainly an experience that’s semi-unique on the scale of football experiences…well, I shouldn’t say semi-unqiue. Completely unique.”
Luck likely never returns to the football field. But it’s clear his impact on the game and how future athletes handle their careers will end up being a lasting one.