When fans think "Indianapolis Colts" and "quarterback," the first name that will inevitably come to mind is Peyton Manning, and maybe Johnny Unitas as a runner-up. Both are legendary QBs who will be celebrated throughout NFL history forever. But there's another Colts quarterback who will always be remembered... but for a more painful reason.
Andrew Luck was meant to be the next Peyton Manning for the Colts, and for a bright, shining moment, he was. Luck burst onto the scene with not only incredible skill and talent, but toughness, too; nothing could keep him down.
He played through severe injuries, like a lacerated kidney and a torn abdominal muscle. And though the injuries caught up to him in 2017, he came back in 2018 and played so well, he was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year.
Indianapolis Colts icon Andrew Luck's rookie season still impresses
But just one year later, he shocked the NFL and walked away, announcing his retirement - which, unsurprisingly, blindsided fans. The thought of what could have been is still painful, especially as the Colts never really recovered. Finding another quarterback as good as Luck has been seemingly impossible, as general manager Chris Ballard led the team on an unending quarterback carousel.
The drama surrounding his sudden retirement may make some forget just how good Luck was, but The Athletic (subscription required), at least, hasn't forgotten. He was not only named to their list of the 25 best rookie QB seasons, but also came in the top 10.
In the write-up, Nick Baumgardner applauded Luck for not only being an insanely good quarterback but for playing through less-than-ideal circumstances. Ultimately, he ranked Luck at No. 7.
"One of the most fearless NFL quarterbacks we’ve ever seen, Luck averaged better than 10 air yards per attempt as a rookie while showing zero hesitation into tight windows or over the middle of the field. His interception total was high, but his work bouncing back after mistakes was very impressive from a young player.Nick Baumgardner
Luck was sacked a career-high 41 times as a rookie (fourth highest in the NFL that year) and kept getting up, willing a group that went 2-14 in 2011 to 11 wins one year later."
The Colts were a disaster before Andrew Luck came along. But the No. 1 pick out of Stanford was able to turn things around immediately, showing how a good QB can elevate the entire team.
Unfortunately, that feat has never been able to be replicated. The Colts have cycled through countless quarterbacks, even Super Bowl champions (Nick Foles, anyone?), but no one was able to be as successful as Andrew Luck was.
For Colts fans, it's undoubtedly a bittersweet feeling. On the one hand, seeing Luck return to football and get his due is great to see. But on the other hand, it's just another reminder of how different things could be now, if only he hadn't walked away from it all.