Colts Quarterback Andrew Luck to Retire From NFL at 29 Years Old

The NFL community received a major shock on Saturday night when ESPN insider tweeted that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was retiring from the NFL. At only 29 years old, the former first overall pick (2012) was still viewed as a superstar entering the prime of his career, despite some previous injuries. However, the situation and, potentially, the AFC South just changed for years to come.

According to Schefter, Luck informed the Colts that he would be retiring. He has reportedly met with team owner Jim Irsay and has informed him of the decision. A press conference will be held Sunday afternoon, but the decision has been made. Luck is mentally worn down, and now he will be checking out. The Colts starter finishes his career with 23,671 passing yards, 171 touchdowns, and 83 interceptions.

With Luck no longer the starting quarterback, the Colts will be forging ahead with backup Jacoby Brissett as the starter. The former New England Patriots draft pick has been in Indy since 2017, the season in which he started 15 games and passed for 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He doesn't have the name value of Luck, but Brissett was a reliable starter during the 2017 season.

Filed to ESPN: Andrew Luck has informed the Colts he is retiring from the NFL, per source. There will be a press conference Sunday to make it official, but Luck is mentally worn down, and now checking out.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2019

Andrew Luck already has met with Colts’ owner Jim Irsay to tell him that he is retiring, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2019

When the Indianapolis Colts selected Luck with the first overall pick in 2012, they did so with the belief that he would be the man to lead this team back to the Super Bowl. Future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was no longer in town, and Irsay and co. needed a bonafide star to be the replacement.

Entering the draft, Luck was competing with Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III to be the top pick overall, much like Manning and Ryan Leaf did in the 1998 draft. However, the Colts opted for the Stanford product, and he did not disappoint.

In his first three seasons as the top quarterback in the AFC South, Luck achieved a win-loss record of 11-5 and was named to the Pro Bowl every single season. 2014 was a career year as he posted 4,761 passing yards with 40 touchdowns and only 16 interceptions.

This outstanding play led to a five-year, $122.9 million contract extension in 2016, but Luck's starting tenure was cut short. He underwent shoulder surgery during the offseason and ultimately missed the entire 2017 campaign. It appeared that Luck's future was in doubt, but he was able to make a comeback for the 2018 season.

In his first full season returning from injury, Luck led his team to a 10-6 record and an appearance in the postseason. The Colts easily dispatched the rival Houston Texans in the Wild Card Game but were unable to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.

A nagging calf injury kept Luck out of the lineup during training camp and preseason games, and it likely led to his ultimate decision to retire. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Colts star quarterback has been mulling retirement for two weeks so that he and his wife can travel the world.