I am simply disgusted at the Indianapolis Colts fanbase. Yes, I understand that they are probably mad they have to wake up every day to life in Indiana. However, that does not give them the right to boo a man who gave his absolute all to this garbage franchise. Andrew Luck is 29 years old and he is already stepping away from the game of football. He joins Patrick Willis, Rob Gronkowski, and Calvin Johnson in a club of stars that have retired at the peak of their careers. What is the reason for this? All of these players have spoke out on how the NFL has worn them down mentally and physically. They all lost their enjoyment for the game of football. In this case of Andrew Luck, his injury history while playing was concerning. Some of his bigger injuries were a lacerated kidney, which he was left peeing blood, in 2015 and a torn labrum on his throwing arm in 2017. Luck had been consistently taking a beating due to a lackluster offensive line for most of his career. Luck was sacked a whopping 72 times in his first two seasons in the NFL, an eye opening total for a young quarterback. Why do I think that Andrew Luck retired so young? It’s simple, the Indianapolis Colts front office are at fault.
Owner Jim Irsay and former GM Ryan Grigson, to me, ruined Andrew Luck’s promising career. One might argue that during Grigson’s tenure (2012-2016) the Colts were doing pretty well. They finished 11-5 for three consecutive years and even made the AFC Championship in 2015. One of Luck’s legendary performances was a 28-point comeback in the 2014 wildcard against the Kansas City Chiefs, which was the second biggest playoff comeback in NFL history. However, all this success and potential was covering the faults of the organization. In March 2014 Irsay was arrested for a DUI and possession of a controlled substance, while Grigson traded a first round pick for running back Trent Richardson, who unfortunately turned out to be a huge bust. Grigson continued to give out poor contracts to players such as LaRon Landry, drafting poorly (Bjoern Werner), and never addressing the issue of protecting his most valuable player, Andrew Luck.
Luck was getting injury after injury and was in a constant cycle of rehabbing. It took six years for the Colts to finally address the Offensive Line problem with new GM Chris Ballard. Ballard drafted Guard Quenton Nelson with the sixth pick in the 2018 Draft. He also went on to pick Linebacker Darius Leonard in the second round. Both players were absolutely incredible, as Leonard led the league in tackles and won Defensive Rookie Of The Year. Leonard and Nelson were also both named First-Team All Pro, the first teammates since Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus in 1965 to receive the honor. CBS Sports ranked the Colts offensive line as the fourth best in the league. With Ballard stepping in and taking control of a team that seemed to be lost, the future was looking good at the Lucas Oil Stadium. However, it was all too little too late for Andrew Luck. With the lack of protection for and a poor front office for the majority of his career, the Indianapolis Colts failed Andrew Luck.
Which brings me back to the disgusting fanbase of the Indianapolis Colts. While Luck was on the field for the Colts preseason game against the Chicago Bears, he spent the whole game talking to his teammates and breaking the news to them. While he was running off the field for the last time, the Colts fans did the unthinkable. They booed him. They booed the man that gave them his all, kept their franchise relevant, and played with a heart of a lion. I think what the Colts fans are seeming to forget is that Andrew Luck, like all of us, is a human. Would a person stay at a job that didn’t make them happy? No. This is simply what Luck is doing, the game broke him down physically and mentally. You can see it in his retirement press conference. He is only 29 years old and he looks worn out and truly sad. Fans need to stop putting players on this pedestal and realize that they are human beings, who are constantly putting their minds and bodies through hell to play the sport that they love. It’s sad that there was no respect or empathy for Andrew Luck by his own fanbase. I wish him the best in retirement and I hope he realizes that his career was a successful one.
