Andrew Luck deserved better from his people.
When news of the oft-injured quarterback's retirement plans began to circulate last weekend, he received the heel treatment from Indianapolis Colts fans as he exited a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
They dared to boo the franchise quarterback who had given everything to the organization: his blood, his sweat, his tears, his body, his passion.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't hear the reaction," Luck told reporters in a hastily arranged press conference to make the announcement. It hurt."
Luck left the the game at the young age of 29, and other youngsters will follow. The NFL has a real problem on its hands. As standard-bearers such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers push away the specter of Father Time on a daily basis, youthful superstars are quickly realizing that they can make millions, cash in and enjoy life without football, their health intact.
Andrew deserved better from the fans. He replaced a legend in Peyton Manning and led the franchise to consecutive 11-5 records and playoff berths in each of his three seasons, and he did it without the type of Hall of Fame talent that Manning had in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Edgerrin James. He also did it without an offensive line early on, earning a reputation as one of the toughest QBs around because of the pounding he took, starting with 41 sacks in his rookie year.
Not counting the 2015 season, in which he missed nine games because of an injury, Luck averaged 4,358 yards and 31 touchdowns per season. His 89.5 career passer rating ranks No. 15 in league history.
OK, his timing wasn't the best, but when it became clear that he just wasn't ready for another injury-plagued season, he hung up the cleats, which was his right. His bosses knew long before the news leaked that it was a possibility, even if the fans didn't. The reaction at the stadium was something we would expect in a hard sports town like Philadelphia, where Eagles fans famously booed and threw snowballs at our beloved Santa Claus one winter afternoon.
This is a sure sign that the landscape has changed in regards to how players are viewing their time in the NFL.
Over the past decade, we've witnessed some of the best in the game retire in their absolute prime. Detroit Lions wideout Calvin "Megatron" Johnson left in 2016 at age 30 after putting up six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, including a league record 1,964 yards in 2012. Seven-time Pro Bowler Patrick Willis was on the short list of best linebackers in the game when he walked away at age 30 in 2015. His feet simply gave out. It happens. Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jerod Mayo was also 30 when he left in 2016.
Here's where the current era has affected the decisions of players like Luck and former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who retired in March, a few months shy of his 30th birthday, to a life of Vegas parties and selling cannabis (I can't make that up). They are well-educated on the long-term effects of playing this game, the stories of former players discovered to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy after their deaths and the post-career struggles of those who just stayed on the field too long.
Why do you think young running backs like Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott are holding out for megabucks? They know the game isn't forever, so they want to maximize their earnings before their bodies and minds give out.
Radio host Doug Gottlieb blasted Luck, calling his decision the most millennial thing ever, but Doug should understand that Andrew just made the best decision of his young life. He has earned nearly $100 million in salary and could put to use that shiny engineering degree from Stanford, with a brain that presumably isn't damaged beyond repair from numerous concussions.
Former NFL QB Steve Beuerlein was also critical of Luck, citing his 19 surgeries over 15 NFL seasons. Hey, Steve, you made the choice to put your body through that. Luck should be given the same courtesy of piloting his life's ship.
Luck represented the organization in classy fashion for seven years and played hurt, which is expected in such a violent game. He came to the end of his rope both physically and mentally and decided to cash in his chips. He was scheduled to make north of $60 million over the next three seasons and would have signed a more lucrative deal after that, something in the neighborhood of $150 million, with a fat signing bonus. So this decision was obviously not about the money.
All that said, my sizable gut tells me we haven't seen the last of him. He will clear his head this season and could eventually find his way back to the game. It's part of the reason the Colts weren't tripping over the $25 million in bonus money he pocketed despite not playing out the final two of the contract.
And if he comes back, that's fine. It's his life and his choice.
