BEREA, Ohio — Soon-to-be former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck shocked the NFL world Saturday when he informed management of his intent to walk away from football and retire at just 29 years old despite having years left on his contract extension.
Instead of fulfilling his contract with the Colts, a five-year, $122.97 million pact signed in June of 2016, Luck made the hardest decision of his life to pursue other interests.
“I spoke with him in Indy,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said following Monday’s practice. “Andrew and my relationship goes back to when (offensive quality control coach) Jim Dray got married. I met him at Jim’s wedding and evaluated him coming out. Great dude.”
In just seven seasons, Luck made more than $97 million quarterbacking the Colts, who announced that they will not attempt to recoup any of the signing bonus money he was given with the contract extension.
Over 86 career starts for the Colts, Luck completed 2,000 of his 3,290 attempts (60.8 percent) for 23,671 yards and 171 touchdowns against 83 interceptions. Luck was a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback who engineered 16 comeback wins, 20 game-winning drives and eight playoff games.
Luck threw for a league-best 40 touchdowns during the 2014 season, and after missing all of 2017 due to injury, he passed for 39 scores and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts last year.
“If that is what he wanted to do, I respect what he wanted to do, and if his heart was not in it, he needed to,” Kitchens said.
“I know the Indy people do not like to hear that, but that is facts. He has to be happy with himself, first and foremost. If that is what makes him happy, then that is what he needed to do, and I am happy for him that he had the strength to do it.”
