Colts: Joe Thomas just started Andrew Luck rumors for no reason
By Jerry Trotta
NFL Network analyst Joe Thomas started rumors about Andrew Luck coming out of retirement, and it feels totally unnecessary.
It feels like we’ve been talking about the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback situation since the second the clock ran out on their first-round playoff loss, but that’s simply the reality of things when a team is seemingly a franchise guy away from competing for a championship.
That obviously isn’t a shot at Philip Rivers, who announced his retirement last week, but at 38 years old, it was going to take a miracle for him to lead Indy to the promised land. At the time of his announcement, it seemed like trading for Deshaun Watson was the only viable option to acquire somebody of that caliber — a long shot, too, considering the Texans have minimal interest in making their division rival better.
Fast forward one week and it now appears the Colts could have the luxury of choosing between Watson, Matthew Stafford and potentially Aaron Rodgers, who was noncommittal about his future after the Packers crashed out of the playoffs this past weekend, when all is said and done.
In light of all these trade rumors, however, NFL Network analyst Joe Thomas took it upon himself to ignite rumors that Andrew Luck will shock the world and come out of retirement to run it back under center in 2021 and potentially beyond.
Don’t you get the feeling Andrew Luck is about to make a comeback this off-season for the @Colts?? @PatMcAfeeShow
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) January 28, 2021
Any sane fan would endorse Luck spurning retirement to return to quarterback the Colts if he felt mentally ready to do so, but sparking these rumors just seems totally unnecessary. We haven’t heard a peep from the former Pro Bowler since he walked away…that is, until left tackle Anthony Castonzo revealed his intentions to retire a few weeks ago.
The role Luck played in that decision-making process served as yet another reminder that he’s doing just fine without football. If he was willing to convince Castonzo — who, like Luck at the time of his retirement, was still in the middle of his prime — to call it quits in the name of not putting his body in harm’s way anymore, what evidence is there to suggest the man himself would consider returning?
Colts would love to have Andrew Luck return but aren't counting on it https://t.co/kaWX6exSWl
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 28, 2021
Even Colts owner Jim Irsay, who shares a strong relationship with Luck, is fully aware that banking on his return would be asinine.
"“He knows we would love to have him back,” said Irsay. “But only he can answer that question deep in his heart and his soul: ‘Hey, do I really want to come back and be a quarterback for the Colts again in the NFL?’ It’s easy for us. He knows how much we’d love to have him be our quarterback.”“I don’t really know if we’ll see that. I think he’s happy. He’s raising his daughter. He has a wonderful family. He’s a great Colt. He knows that he can come back anytime he wants, but at the same time, we respect he’s made that decision.”"
Andrew Luck has an open invite to return to the Colts but Irsay said, 'Right now, he's retired.'
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) January 27, 2021
If those comments don’t say it all, then we’re not sure what will.
Luck coming out of retirement would be the ideal scenario for the Colts as it would mean they wouldn’t have to give up any draft compensation to deploy an elite quarterback. However, it’s almost impossible to picture a scenario where that ends up happening, and Thomas probably should’ve thought about Luck’s desired privacy before he unearthed this rumor.
