Andrew Luck

Dutch Oven

@flyingfooldoug said:

So do they win a game this season? Sit the vets, lose every game and pick number one. Sounds like the irsay way. Sneak and cheat

You do realize that is exactly what the Browns did, right?

Flugel

@nero said:

This sucks. It doesn't matter if you are a Colts fan or not, having elite players retiring way earlier than expected doesn't do any good to the NFL.

Luck was a quaterback who made up for the shitty rosters the Colts had for many years. Not only that, he also was the nicest guy and a Independence War veteran. Plus he has an Architecture degree

Thee Colts and the league will surely miss him. I wish him the best in his future endeavours.

Exactly!

The FO there almost deserves this for the number of years they refused to protect the guy upfront. That all took a cumulative toll on his body. And you know what? He never complained about it or lost composure in the pocket or while eluding pressure on the improvise out of the pocket. In fact, sometimes you could hear him on audio/video telling someone that just clobbered him "GREAT HIT."

As much as we're Cleveland Browns fans, a lot of us are fans of the game that really appreciate a guy like this. JJ Watt had a very respectful and understanding perspective on it today on ESPN when they aired comments from players and coaches around the league. And then they showed fans in the crowd as he walked off the field the last time PROUD to show him they're taking off their #12 jersey in disgust.

Not for nothing, but social media really sucks sometimes especially when they leak something like this when he had a presser planned for a more appropriate time to air it.

Dutch Oven

@mld-woody said:

Definitely shitty and a terrible look for the fans...

... though I'm not so sure we wouldn't have some posters on here doing the same thing...

I was thinking the same exact thing when I just saw it on ESPN...

In fact, I have a feeling we'd have the same short list of posters on here who would pull the same stunt, Woody.

Comeonman

@dutch-oven said:

You do realize that is exactly what the Browns did, right?

I didn’t. Honestly. I thought the coaching was terrible enough and the players weren’t developed enough to actually win games.

Dutch Oven

@comeonman said:

I didn’t. Honestly. I thought the coaching was terrible enough and the players weren’t developed enough to actually win games.

Belichick wasn't winning more than 5 or 6 games total in 2016 and 2017 with those rosters. Practically every veteran on the roster was jettisoned. This was a tank job, pure and simple. Hue simply was a horrible pick to be a head coach of a young team that needed developed.

Flugel

@dutch-oven said:

Belichick wasn't winning more than 5 or 6 games total in 2016 and 2017 with those rosters. Practically every veteran on the roster was jettisoned. This was a tank job, pure and simple. Hue simply was a horrible pick to be a head coach of a young team that needed developed.

In fact, when Belichick actually had a team like you speak of here in 91 - he went 6-10. He didn't get us to a winning record and the playoffs until his 4th year here. It doesn't matter how good he is at gridiron chess - he didn't beat people when he could only attack them exclusively with pawns...

gumby73

The Colts fan base is full of weird folks..With a owner that should not run a Wendy's.. Thanks to most Colts fans, And I will be just fine...

hoorta

@jrb12711 said:

Players leaving well before they have to isn’t some unprecedented thing, but I have no doubt this type of thing will happen more and more.

hell, JT albeit a bit older could have easily come back for several more years but chose against it. It won’t shock me at all to see guys play through their 2nd contract and call it quits around 30.

You don't need to be a super star to be set for life anymore- if you're careful with your money. Just being a hanger on nets you a pension after a few years. And the top minimum after 9 years is $900k. Know my niece's cousin was able to do that playing special teams and retired a few years ago.

bjh2130

@comeonman said:

I didn’t. Honestly. I thought the coaching was terrible enough and the players weren’t developed enough to actually win games.

That was a strip down to the studs to acquire draft capital and rebuild. They were intentionally trying to not win games. The players weren't the front office was.

The Gipper

@flugel said:

Exactly!

The FO there almost deserves this for the number of years they refused to protect the guy upfront. That all took a cumulative toll on his body. And you know what? He never complained about it or lost composure in the pocket or while eluding pressure on the improvise out of the pocket. In fact, sometimes you could hear him on audio/video telling someone that just clobbered him "GREAT HIT."

As much as we're Cleveland Browns fans, a lot of us are fans of the game that really appreciate a guy like this. JJ Watt had a very respectful and understanding perspective on it today on ESPN when they aired comments from players and coaches around the league. And then they showed fans in the crowd as he walked off the field the last time PROUD to show him they're taking off their #12 jersey in disgust.

Not for nothing, but social media really sucks sometimes especially when they leak something like this when he had a presser planned for a more appropriate time to air it.

Given that I believe that our OL is now our #1 weakness on the Browns....let's hope our QB doesn't suffer a similar fated.

The Gipper

@gumby73 said:

The Colts fan base is full of weird folks..With a owner that should not run a Wendy's.. Thanks to most Colts fans, And I will be just fine...

Indy never should have had a team. The Colts should still be in Baltimore.....that was all on the Irsay family.

mjp28

@flyingfooldoug said:

According to the NFLPA, the average career is 3.3 years.

Looks like he’ll be a full time caveman for geico now... lol

BINGO, we have a winner!

The NFL is truly a brutal business that's why they are going overboard to try to protect the quarterbacks and wide receivers. For every player who makes 10, 15 or even 20 years there are many who get hurt in training camp or year 1 or 2 in the game.

Good luck Luck in your new career behind a microphone or maybe just fishing.

Kvoethe

Lamar Miller...torn Acl ...out for year

blitzz2

Good for Luck, sure it was a easy decision given his injuries and the NFL's pressure to just Play. Any person who can truly understand the toll the NFL takes on your body, mentally and physically. And has the guts to decide that getting out now is probably the best for him and his health in the long term deserves respect.Sucks to see him go but like I said, your health and sanity out weighs your misery down the road.

mjp28

@hoorta said:

You don't need to be a super star to be set for life anymore- if you're careful with your money. Just being a hanger on nets you a pension after a few years. And the top minimum after 9 years is $900k. Know my niece's cousin was able to do that playing special teams and retired a few years ago.

True. If you have a brain cell left in your head and are wise with your money it's like hitting the lottery if you can make a team at any position. And signing bonuses vary but can make some players an instant millionaire. From one of my favorite sources spotrac:

Each year the NFL minimum salaries increase by $15,000, up to $495,000 for a rookie in 2019. A player’s minimum salary is determined by his years of experience (YOE), ranging from 0 to 10 or more. The chart below shows the minimum (P5) salaries a team can contract a player to based on Years of Experience (credited seasons).

Yrs.	2017	2018	2019	2020
0	$465,000	$480,000	$495,000	$510,000
1	$540,000	$555,000	$570,000	$585,000
2	$615,000	$630,000	$645,000	$660,000
3	$690,000	$705,000	$720,000	$735,000
4-6	$775,000	$790,000	$805,000	$820,000
7-9	$900,000	$915,000	$930,000	$945,000
10+	$1,000,000	$1,015,000	$1,030,000	$1,045,000

VETERAN MINIMUM BENEFITS

When qualified, a player with four (4) or more years of NFL experience can earn his total minimum salary, but have a cap figure that reflects two years of experience – or in 2019, $645,000. The contract must be for only one year, and must not contain combined bonus money (signing, roster, workout) that exceeds $90,000.

Orion

I don't think that the Colts will be tanking. I think they will turn to Brissette and see if he can be the QB of the future.

Canton Mike

@orion said:

I don't think that the Colts will be tanking. I think they will turn to Brissette and see if he can be the QB of the future.

I wouldn't bet either way. Irsay is a snake in the grass & who knows what may happen there.

Mike

The Gipper

@orion said:

I don't think that the Colts will be tanking. I think they will turn to Brissette and see if he can be the QB of the future.

He has played pretty well. I don't think that he will be in like the Top 20 QBs in this league, but he can be a starter and play decently. How far they go depends a lot of the quality of the rest of the team.

The Colts HAVE done a lot to put quality players around Luck...now they are going to have to rely on the supporting cast to pull the show together and not the star.

All that being said...Fuck them. Let them lose. Their tank job to get Luck was a despicable display of poor sportsmanship and in a sense was the best example of what can be wrong with the NFL these days.....letting teams tank. Fuck them. Lose. I remember when they had their division sown up, and they were playing someone who the Browns were fighting with for a playoff spot. This was 2007. They tanked that game, denying the Browns a chance to make the playoffs. Refused to play Peyton...instead played like Curtis Painter at QB. It was the worst example of a lack of integrity in the game that I have seen. So, nothing that team suffers breaks my heart....albeit that I did like Luck and thought he could be special. It wasn't against him, but that organization.

runyon27

I just found this whole thing shocking, when I first saw this last night I thought it was a joke or a mistake. Luck was a good dude, it will be interesting to see if his body gets healed up if the football itch returns and decides to unretire.

hoorta

@the-gipper said:

He has played pretty well. I don't think that he will be in like the Top 20 QBs in this league, but he can be a starter and play decently. How far they go depends a lot of the quality of the rest of the team.

The Colts HAVE done a lot to put quality players around Luck...now they are going to have to rely on the supporting cast to pull the show together and not the star.

All that being said...Fuck them. Let them lose. Their tank job to get Luck was a despicable display of poor sportsmanship and in a sense was the best example of what can be wrong with the NFL these days.....letting teams tank. Fuck them. Lose. I remember when they had their division sown up, and they were playing someone who the Browns were fighting with for a playoff spot. This was 2007. They tanked that game, denying the Browns a chance to make the playoffs. Refused to play Peyton...instead played like Curtis Painter at QB. It was the worst example of a lack of integrity in the game that I have seen. So, nothing that team suffers breaks my heart....albeit that I did like Luck and thought he could be special. It wasn't against him, but that organization.

Yes Gip those of us old enough remember the moving vans pulling out of Baltimore in the middle of the night. Not like Indy didn't deserve a team, not just that team.

Couldn't happen to the Browns? well it did. Why I hope nothing but continual losing to Carpetbaggers Kroenke (Rams), Chargers (Spanos) and the Rovin' Raiders with Davis.

Andrew Luck

VETERAN MINIMUM BENEFITS

FRANCHISE & TRANSITION TAGS