The Indianapolis Colts were hit with some fairly surprising news on Wednesday morning when quarterback Philip Rivers announced his retirement from the NFL.
The timing of this bombshell was especially unexpected as GM Chris Ballard acknowledged just last week that he would give the 38-year-old vet a month to think things through. On top of that, Rivers himself hinted at the prospect of running it back for an 18th season after Indy was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
We’ll have plenty of Rivers content in the coming days, but for now our attention has to revolve around the Colts’ impending search for a franchise quarterback, which can officially get underway now that his news has been confirmed.
Before we touch on current options around the league, what are the chances that Andrew Luck comes out of retirement to lead Indianapolis to the promised land after he set them back years with his groundbreaking decision to walk away from the game back in 2019?
"It's just time."
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2021
Colts quarterback Philip Rivers told the San Diego Union-Tribune retiring from the NFL after 17 seasons. https://t.co/m6y55UbNP3
This would probably be the best-case scenario for the Colts as Luck, who turned 31 in September, is still very much in the middle of his prime despite being out of the league for two seasons. With that being said, however, we wouldn’t hold our breath about the prospect of him returning as he seems to be enjoying himself in retirement.
Not only that, but Luck also helped left tackle Anthony Castonzo come to his own decision about calling it a career following an injury-riddled season. It’s duly noted that the former No. 1 overall pick is as selfless as they come and would help literally anybody with anything, but if that doesn’t prove he’s at peace with his decision and not eager to get back to football, then we’re not sure what will.
I reached out to former Colts QB Andrew Luck earlier regarding the retirement of his very close friend Anthony Castonzo. Here’s his reply: pic.twitter.com/AqT6drXcnZ
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) January 12, 2021
Again, never say never, but at this point it would be nothing short of earth-shattering if Luck announced he was returning to football. Based on how little we’ve heard from him since his retirement decision, it would probably take a miracle from Ballard and head coach Frank Reich to convince him to do so.
But we can dream, can’t we?
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