Colts: Jim Irsay gives emphatic answer on Andrew Luck return

Colts owner Jim Irsay was asked about Andrew Luck potentially coming out of retirement.

The Indianapolis Colts seemingly being in pole position to make the playoffs for the first time in two seasons and just the second time since 2014 has sparked questions about what their ceiling could be if Andrew Luck was still pulling the strings on offense.

Fans will remember Luck famously retiring during the 2019 preseason, citing his overtaxed body and depleted spirit as the essential factors behind his widely-panned decision, leaving Indianapolis with a gargantuan predicament to overcome in the process.

Given that the Colts have a robust offensive line in place and are widely said to be a quarterback away from being able to compete for a championship, there’s been growing speculation about the four-time Pro Bowler potentially coming out of retirement to help lead them to the promised land.

However, while speaking to the media this week, owner Jim Irsay threw come freezing cold water on those rumors.

"“You know, I don’t think so — I really don’t,” Irsay told reporters. “I think that door’s closed.”“I mean, anything’s possible, and he’s still friends with the organization, and we all still have contact with him. Some of the guys, like Anthony Castonzo or TY know a lot more than some of the newer guys. But look, he was a great player and everyone has to go down the path they think is right for them and their family, and you always respect that.”“So, I love Andrew, I wish him well. He’s raising his daughter, Lucy, and I just hope for him to have an incredible life and that sort of thing. But I don’t see it coming back around. If it did, then great, that’d be a great story. You know, Jordan was gone for two years and then back,” he continued."

Irsay has clung to the possibility of Luck spurning retirement perhaps more than anybody within the organization, so the fact that he’s essentially given up hope on him returning should tell you all you need to know.

Let’s not forget that Irsay has kept in relatively consistent contact with the former No. 1 overall pick over the last 12 months, so you’re not going to find a better source (outside of Luck’s family and agent) to provide some insight about how he’s faring in retirement.

Luck coming back to propel Indianapolis’ ascension to the summit of the AFC would be nothing short of historic. However, these empathetic comments from the 61-year-old owner prove that we have a better chance of witnessing stopgap gunslinger Philip Rivers re-sign with the organization.

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