Out of Luck

I think Andrew Luck's retirement is one of those things that was so shocking and unexpected that everyone will remember where they were when they heard the news. I can not even imagine what it must have been like to be a Colts fan and hear that your franchise quarterback retired before the age of 30. We got a glimpse of how most of them felt when the news was leaked in the middle of the Colts' preseason game, and the fans promptly booed Luck off the field. The interesting thing is, people are quick to point the finger at either Luck for retiring unexpectedly or at the Colts fans for booing the quarterback who, as ill-timed as it was, ultimately made a decision he felt was best for him. So, there is a divide amongst football fans about who is in the wrong.

The Case for Luck:

I personally find it hard to blame Luck for retiring, especially when considering what he has had to endure in his career thus far. Luck has fought injury after injury, and two seasons ago there was so much uncertainty revolving around the severity of the injury he was dealing with, that there was even doubt he would ever play again. I have never gone through any sort of serious rehab, but I think I can say with some confidence that it becomes extremely taxing physically and mentally, especially when it is something that you have to do multiple times in a short time period. At some point, Luck must have stepped back and looked at his road ahead and determined it was not worth it. I watched his press conference and I believe he was being genuine when he said it was the toughest decision he has ever made.

The Case for the Fans:

Simply put, Andrew Luck was still the Colts' quarterback of the future. Yes, he suffered his fair share of injuries, but the Colts still believed in him and his abilities. Last season only further warranted their belief in him, as he helped the Colts to a playoff berth as a wildcard team as well as a playoff win. Coming off of that, as well as with their presumed upgrades in the offseason, I am sure that many Colts fans were thinking this year they could make a Super Bowl run. Then, of course, as soon as the news broke, those hopes were quickly dashed. Being a Lions fan, I am quite familiar with surprise retirements while the players are still young, so I understand the frustration with that. The difference, however, is that Calvin Johnson did not retire from a potential Super Bowl contender. He retired from a team that could barely even make the playoffs and then could never get the job done when they did make it. When considering the fact that the news was leaked early by someone who just could not keep their mouth shut, and on top of that was reported by Adam Schefter while the Colts game was still going on, I can not really blame some of the fans for letting their true emotions show as they rained boos down on their suddenly former franchise quarterback.

The bottom line is, despite the fact that some people are quick to say, there are multiple sides to this issue. On one hand, Luck has battled some pretty severe injuries in his career, and determine it would be best to walk away from the game. On the other hand, he really left the Colts organization hanging with very few options for the upcoming season. Do they just roll with Jacoby Brissett? Or do they try to pull off a quick trade?

I am not one for crazy takes, but hang with me for a second while I spin this locally. What if the Colts call about Matthew Stafford? I have held out hope for Stafford far longer than some Lions fans, but last season I really lost hope that Stafford would be the quarterback to lead us to any postseason success. The Colts, however, might be desperate, and assuming they really do not think Brissett is the answer, they could be willing to pay handsomely for a higher profile quarterback. Now, I have no idea if the Colts would even consider Stafford, but what if they did? What if they offered a few first round picks for him? The Lions would have to at least listen, right? That was just a fun thought that occurred to me shortly after hearing the news. I do not think the Lions would even trade Stafford, but I mean, I should hope that if the Colts offered a good enough haul, that the Lions would at least listen.

It was possibly the most shocking retirement in recent memory, and I am sure it caught everyone by surprise. I believe it is one of those events that we will all remember, and we will always ask the question, what if Luck had stuck around? Would he have eventually won the Colts a Super Bowl? I personally believe that, assuming he stayed in good health, he eventually would have. It is just a shame that we will not get to see if it would have happened.