When Sam Ehlinger takes the field Sunday against Washington, he’ll become the Colts’ sixth starting quarterback in the last four years, a span that coincides with Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement in 2019. The Colts caused a stir by benching Matt Ryan earlier this week, the latest admission of defeat in a long line of failed quarterback experiments.
It may be time for the Colts, who have lately been obsessed with veteran reclamation projects like Ryan and Carson Wentz (both preceded by the similarly short-lived Philip Rivers Era), to adopt a new philosophy, committing to the development of young talent rather than going the “smoke and mirror” route, masking their quarterback deficiencies with duct tape and plywood.
Simply put, Indianapolis hasn’t been the same since Luck retired, cycling through an endless parade of low-upside stopgaps and has-beens on their last NFL legs. In fact, according to beat reporter Zak Keefer of The Athletic, the situation has grown so dire that the Colts recently reached out to Luck, gauging his interest in returning to the team and city he once called home.
“The Colts have reached out. Absolutely they’ve called him,” Keefer confirmed to Rich Eisen earlier this week. “It’s not going to happen. He’s definitely moved on from football.”
Luck’s retirement at 29, abruptly ending what could have been a Hall-of-Fame career, was an absolute stunner, a plot twist nobody could have seen coming. Worn down by years of injuries, the Stanford alum has never looked back, not once entertaining the possibility of a comeback despite being younger than Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton and Matthew Stafford, among current NFL starters.
“He lived in Indianapolis for the first three years after he retired. He was a mile from the Colts’ practice facility,” noted Keefer. “Very much the specter of Andrew Luck hovers over this team. This has been a four to five-year carousel. They have just tried to go with these short-term stopgaps and it hasn’t worked. Until they find the next guy, you’re always left with that what if.”
Drafted as the heir to Peyton Manning, Luck reached the playoffs in four of his six seasons with the Colts, playing in four Pro Bowls while earning Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2018 following shoulder surgery the year prior. Luck has kept a relatively low profile in retirement, returning to Stanford as a grad student this fall.
“I met with Andrew [earlier this year] and I couldn’t stop thinking, this guy is only 32 years old, like he could still play,” said Keefer, still flabbergasted that Luck would abandon a lucrative NFL career while still in his prime. “He’s not going to, but 32 is not that old with the way quarterbacks are playing into their late 30s and 40s right now.”
Too often athletes, driven by ego and a desperate need to stay relevant, overstay their welcome, doing so at great expense to their long-term health and happiness. While Luck’s decision may have cost his bank account millions, there’s something to be said for knowing when to cash in your chips.
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