Retired Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck shocked the world on August 24, 2019 when he called it quits.
That ended a great career starting at Stanford and continuing through with the Colts.
While it was widely known that Andrew Luck had fought through injuries, no one expected him to abruptly end his career the way he did.
His announcement came weeks before the 2019 season so the Colts were forced to scramble; Luck’s backup Jacoby Brissett became the starting quarterback for the 2019 season.
Luck is now 31 years old and enjoying all the benefits of retirement with no apparent second thoughts about returning to the game.
.@Colts WR T.Y. Hilton on @gmfb @nflnetwork on former QB Andrew Luck & whether he would consider a return: "I talk to him every other week. Coming back, don't know. He's enjoying life playing w/ his daughter Lucy. Don't think he will. I'm happy for him."
— Will Selva (@WillSelvaTV) December 10, 2020
He and his wife Nicole have a daughter born in November 2019.
By all accounts, he is at peace with his decision to walk away from the game at the age of 29.
The question will be, is he a Hall of Famer?
No is the correct answer.
And here’s why.
1. No Longevity
Luck was with the Colts for 7 seasons, but he only played in 5 1/2 of them because he was sidelined with an injury for part of the 2015 season and the entire 2017 season.
And the injuries were not minor ones.
In 2015, he was sidelined with a lacerated kidney and a torn abdominal muscle.
Even more severe was the 2017 shoulder injury.
He played in 86 regular season games in his career.
For comparison purposes, Dan Marino played in 242 regular season games.
Another comparison is Luck’s predecessor and certain first ballot Hall of Famer Peyton Manning who played in 266 regular season games.
Without the longevity, it is practically impossible to consider a quarterback for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. No Championships
Not winning a conference championship or Super Bowl tends to make the path to Canton a little tougher.
Of course, there are exceptions.
Barry Sanders played for the Detroit Lions for 10 seasons.
He led the team in every respect, but he only saw action in 6 playoff games.
Sanders is a Hall of Famer because of all the records he broke and for his longevity.
Barry Sanders was in the league for a decade. He accomplished everything everyone thought he would. He's in the Hall of Fame. Andrew Luck was supposed to be the Barry Sanders of quarterbacks. And it's over.
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) August 25, 2019
Dan Marino made it to the Super Bowl in his second season and never advanced that far again.
Andrew Luck played in 6 playoff games, but the Colts were never able to capture a Lombardi during his tenure.
3. Not Enough Stats
There is absolutely no doubt that Andrew Luck had the Hall of Fame talent.
He just did not play long enough to rack up the numbers to help his cause for a Hall of Fame nod.
Luck threw for 23,671 yards and 171 TDs against 83 INTs.
He was on his way.
Luck was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018.
His comeback in 2018 after the debilitating shoulder injury that sidelined him in 2017 was extraordinary; he was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year as a result.
That’s another reason that his sudden retirement shocked everyone.
He was coming off an outstanding season.
Andrew Luck was fun to watch during his time in the NFL.
Many will lobby for him to get in the Hall of Fame, but it seems highly unlikely.
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