12/23/24
August 25, 2019
Andrew Luck Retires from NFL at 29: News broke during the second half of the Indianapolis Colts game Saturday night that Andrew Luck was retiring from the NFL at age 29. Luck called the last four years an endless "injury, pain, rehab" loop he could only end if he stopped playing. The quarterback, head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard all were crying, Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel writes. Vegas was a little slow to react to the news, giving some gamblers a chance to max-bet the under on a 9.5-win season.
In 2016, the Patriots had three QB's on their roster. All are now starters. If Brissett has a good season in the final year of his contract and the Colts decide to re-sign him and pay him something in the vicinity of Nick Foles money, those three QB's in 2020 will be paid a total of around 72.5 million dollars.
posted by beaverboard at 10:56 AM on August 25, 2019
There might have been a warning sign in a Sports Illustrated interview of Luck by Albert Breer. In the interview Luck described how being off of the field had prompted him to look at his priorities and his relationships. The self-examination made him a noticeably happier man. Since the interview he apparently has looked more deeply into what continuing to play would mean to those relationships, and he has decided that the reward was not worth the cost.
Many of us have found ourselves in a situation that is not just uncomfortable but also destructive to oneself. In my case, a series of fortuitous events allowed me to completely change course and get back to being the person I wanted to be, and indeed had been at one time. So it is with Andrew Luck. He is fortunate that walking away from the football field will not cause him to be reduced to poverty. He will very likely have more than a few job opportunities. It will be interesting to follow him in the rest of his career.
posted by Howard_T at 12:43 PM on August 25, 2019
If I was a Colts fan, I'd be thankful that Frank Reich is coaching the team instead of Josh McDaniels. Reich has a lot more of what it takes to rally a team, regardless of circumstances. Plus, he was a career backup QB who played superbly when he got thrown into the fire. He'll be a great help to Brissett.
Indy fans who booed Luck after the news leaked out can only redeem themselves by going berserk next time they see Grigson, Irsay, or Pagano.
posted by beaverboard at 01:15 PM on August 25, 2019
It's a shame to see Luck go but I can't fault any player, no matter how good or well-paid, for deciding the NFL is exacting too high a cost on their bodies. Doug Gottlieb and Dan Dakich deserve all the hell they're catching for bashing Luck over this.
As a Jaguars fan, I think the team's prospects of winning the AFC South just got a lot better, even though it seems like everyone is moving their predictions to the Texans now that a Colts fade is anticipated.
posted by rcade at 01:49 PM on August 25, 2019
Good for him.
posted by Ufez Jones at 03:12 PM on August 25, 2019
Texans just lost Lamar Miller with an ACL, and he was an important contributor. They're also still caught up with all the commotion over a possible Clowney trade. And it's too early to tell if the front office will be affected by the change of ownership in some way. I don't look at the Texans as being an automatic lock to win the division.
I'd like to see Mike Vrabel succeed as a NFL head coach, but Mariota's throwing mechanics still look like he's trying to push a hard boiled egg into an aluminum tube.
posted by beaverboard at 05:57 PM on August 25, 2019
This feels like a division of 9-7, 8-8 and 7-9 teams, though I'm tempted to predict a 10-win season for Jacksonville with Josh Allen looking like a monster and Big Dick Nick bringing competent quarterback play to Duuuuuuval for the first time since David Garrard.
posted by rcade at 06:38 PM on August 25, 2019
That would be *East Carolina's* David Garrard! He's a Pirate for life!
posted by NoMich at 07:58 AM on August 26, 2019
If I had NoMich's daily news feed, my inbox traffic might have included this now chilling tidbit.
Colts are lucky they didn't get hasty. If they had made a move a few weeks ago, Chad Kelly would now be their #1 QB. And I doubt the state of Indiana would be willing to welcome Colin Kaepernick with open arms.
I'm a little surprised Brissett is able to wear #7, which was former great Bert Jones' number. If the Colts retired Buddy Young's number, they should have retired Jones' as well.
Also, that Elway character refused to play for the Colts after they drafted him, which preserved the number for future use.
Ironically, in college Brissett wore number 12.
posted by beaverboard at 08:41 AM on August 26, 2019
I can't believe the Colts are letting Luck keep something north of $20M that they could've clawed back contractually.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:48 AM on August 27, 2019
Didn't the same thing happen with Barry Sanders and the Lions? He got a huge signing bonus then decided to peace out on his career. I can't remember if he got to keep the signing bonus or not
posted by NoMich at 12:15 PM on August 27, 2019
I can't remember if he got to keep the signing bonus or not
posted by BornIcon at 02:21 PM on August 27, 2019
I can't believe the Colts are letting Luck keep something north of $20M that they could've clawed back contractually
Through the Colts management ineptitude they wasted one of the most promising QBs ever to play. If I was Luck and they pulled a claw back I would launch a lawsuit against the organization and claim incompetence and damages.
posted by cixelsyd at 06:01 PM on August 27, 2019
I would launch a lawsuit against the organization and claim incompetence and damages
Not sure if that lawsuit would fly:
Option 1: The Colts sue to claw back some of the signing bonus. Their legal basis is breach of contract, essentially saying that the signing bonus (the Colts' consideration) was part of the contract by which Luck agreed to play (Luck's consideration) for the Colts for x more years, and his failure to play for x more years was in breach (failure of consideration). The remedy for that breach is disgorgement (repayment) of the up-front consideration. You, Luck's attorney, try to defend your client from that breach of contract suit by stating that your client intended to fulfill his contractual obligations, but could not due to the Colts' prior breach. But there was none--the Colt's contractual consideration was $$$ and they satisfied it. I'd be shocked if there was any additional contractual consideration such as "maintain competent offensive line and/or training staff." So you lose.
Option 2: you, as Luck's attorney, sue the Colts in tort for the damages your client suffered--essentially some form of negligence. You can probably satisfy some elements of the prima facie case for negligence--the Colts owed Luck a duty of care, they violated that duty by failing to protect him from injury, he suffered demonstrable damages as a result. But it gets very tricky when it comes to acceptance of risk and comparative negligence elements. I sure as hell wouldn't want to try to argue that Luck was unaware of the risks inherent in quarterbacking an NFL team, or that he didn't assume those risks pursuant to a multi-million dollar contract. I think you're going to lose there, too.
posted by tahoemoj at 12:58 PM on August 28, 2019
Bold prediction time: The Colts will go 12-4 this season.