*Rumor* Andrew Luck

[Hoose 1,220]

Luck is done folks. He walked away to be a father and husband and to keep his body and brains intact. He’s not coming back to get his body smashed up again or raise the odds that he gets another concussion or five. He has enough $; he’s a smart guy with a multitude of interests. Let the ghost of QB Andrew Luck Rest In Peace. 

[RollerColt 2,672]

2 minutes ago, Hoose said:

Luck is done folks. He walked away to be a father and husband and to keep his body and brains intact. He’s not coming back to get his body smashed up again or raise the odds that he gets another concussion or five. He has enough $; he’s a smart guy with a multitude of interests. Let the ghost of QB Andrew Luck Rest In Peace. 

Having a kid can really change a man's perception of life and what's truly valuable. 

[WifiGuy 424]

1 hour ago, RollerColt said:

Having a kid can really change a man's perception of life and what's truly valuable. 

So can a contract like Mahomes got 

[NannyMcafee 2,087]

Well... I do find it kind of funny. People are reacting exactly how they did when the rumors started that he was retiring. 

[2006Coltsbestever 28,586]

I don't see him coming back but then again I was sure he wouldn't retire before the 2019 season either. Luck is hard to figure out.

[Lucky Colts Fan 6,638]

15 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Luck is hard to figure out.

 

She's fair, but she's fickle.

 

[jmac_48 719]

What I see next is:

 

Luck & Luck Architecture LLC.

 

One more kid, then start the family business.

[ReMeDy 2,883]

What if Luck were to come back and say to Mr. Irsay, "Now trade me, stash the pick/s, and once I'm on my other team, I'll retire again. You're welcome."

[Lucky Colts Fan 6,638]

1 minute ago, ReMeDy said:

What if Luck were to come back and say to Mr. Irsay, "Now trade me, stash the pick/s, and once I'm on my other team, I'll retire again. You're welcome."

 

That's so evil.

 

I love it.

 

But Andrew would never...

[2006Coltsbestever 28,586]

11 minutes ago, ReMeDy said:

What if Luck were to come back and say to Mr. Irsay, "Now trade me, stash the pick/s, and once I'm on my other team, I'll retire again. You're welcome."

To New England  

[DougDew 4,182]

He probably had to take a year off for rest and to get HGH therapy to truly heel.  I doubt the NFL can reach into someone's retired personal life to test for stuff.  Colts probably knew it and thought the retirement was temporary; something was up.

[Superman 37,215]

8 hours ago, ReMeDy said:

What if Luck were to come back and say to Mr. Irsay, "Now trade me, stash the pick/s, and once I'm on my other team, I'll retire again. You're welcome."

 

Any trade would be conditional. 

 

Sorry to be "that guy." 

[Coffeedrinker 8,123]

17 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Any trade would be conditional. 

 

Sorry to be "that guy." 

Thanks Debbie Downer  

[Superman 37,215]

23 minutes ago, DougDew said:

He probably had to take a year off for rest and to get HGH therapy to truly heel.  I doubt the NFL can reach into someone's retired personal life to test for stuff.  Colts probably knew it and thought the retirement was temporary; something was up.

 

Your theories are usually not up my alley.

 

This one is something I've wondered myself, minus the "temporary" part, because I don't think Luck is coming back. 

 

Disclaimer: The following is just a product of my imagination, nothing I'm suggesting actually happened in reality. Just a what-if.

 

But I wondered if maybe he was having issues with painkillers back in 2016-17, especially when he left the team for a few weeks in 2017 and no one would say where he was. Then it turns out he's in Europe. It was all so secretive and under wraps. Once he retired, I wondered if he had been doing rehab for opioid addiction.

 

When he came back in 2018, he talked about having been in a bad place mentally and emotionally. Then a year later, he retired abruptly, after dealing with what seemed like a relatively minor injury that seemed to come out of nowhere. They couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, and if he didn't want to have another operation because he didn't want to deal with painkillers again -- and as an NFL player, he couldn't use more homeopathic pain management methods -- then some options were off the table for him. 

 

Again, all just a theory that came from my head.

 

I'm not entertaining the thought of Luck coming back. He's not coming back.

[Superman 37,215]

11 minutes ago, Coffeedrinker said:

Thanks Debbie Downer  

 

Just sayin. Earlier someone was asking why any team would trade for Luck when he retired on the Colts two weeks before the season. Again, the trade would be conditional. 

[shasta519 2,886]

40 minutes ago, DougDew said:

He probably had to take a year off for rest and to get HGH therapy to truly heel.  I doubt the NFL can reach into someone's retired personal life to test for stuff.  Colts probably knew it and thought the retirement was temporary; something was up.

 

I am going to put on my tin foil hat for a minute. Assuming this is even remotely true (obvious caveat)...I think there could be something to what you said. Reportedly he went overseas in 2017 to get treatment. He denied that it was HGH I think...but it's not like he would admit that. And given the prevalence of athletes travelling to Europe for certain treatments...it's not a huge stretch that Luck got HGH (among other things).

 

So given his situation...taking a couple years off to be with your wife and newborn...while effectively rehabbing and rebuilding through certain treatments (that wouldn't otherwise be available)...would make sense. 

 

Also...weren't rumors that he approached Ballard and Reich about taking some time off? From what I heard...they said no...but what if they didn't? This would be a reason why both the JB deal and the Rivers deal..are set to expire after this season...and why they spent $50M+ on the QB position since last September...but don't have a viable starter under contract for next season.

 

Ballard has said he won't force it at the QB position...but it's a lot easier to not force it when you possibly don't have to. Snagging Buckner for #13 and paying him makes a ton of sense...when you know your franchise QB is coming back...and your competitive window is open indefinitely. 

 

I am sure there is nothing to this...but it's fun to think about this type of coordination going on.

 

 

[PeterBowman 3,472]

8 hours ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

To New England  

Well that's something New England would do. 

[DougDew 4,182]

1 minute ago, shasta519 said:

 

I am going to put on my tin foil hat for a minute. Assuming this is even remotely true (obvious caveat)...I think there could be something to what you said. Reportedly he went overseas in 2017 to get treatment. He denied that it was HGH I think...but it's not like he would admit that. And given the prevalence of athletes travelling to Europe for certain treatments...it's not a huge stretch that Luck got HGH (among other things).

 

So given his situation...taking a couple years off to be with your wife and newborn...while effectively rehabbing and rebuilding through certain treatments (that wouldn't otherwise be available)...would make sense. 

 

Also...weren't rumors that he approached Ballard and Reich about taking some time off? From what I heard...they said no...but what if they didn't? This would be a reason why both the JB deal and the Rivers deal..are set to expire after this season...and why they spent $50M+ on the QB position since last September...but don't have a viable starter under contract for next season.

 

Ballard has said he won't force it at the QB position...but it's a lot easier to not force it when you possibly don't have to. Snagging Buckner for #13 and paying him makes a ton of sense...when you know your franchise QB is coming back...and your competitive window is open indefinitely. 

 

I am sure there is nothing to this...but it's fun to think about this type of coordination going on.

 

 

I meant to write my message using the sarcasm font.  Sorry.

 

To be clear, I think both HGH and steroids are legitimate therapy for injuries or health issuesy.  Nothing immoral about them, IMO.  The NFL bans them for obvious reasons.

[The Fish 2,353]

7 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Your theories are usually not up my alley.

 

This one is something I've wondered myself, minus the "temporary" part, because I don't think Luck is coming back. 

 

Disclaimer: The following is just a product of my imagination, nothing I'm suggesting actually happened in reality. Just a what-if.

 

But I wondered if maybe he was having issues with painkillers back in 2016-17, especially when he left the team for a few weeks in 2017 and no one would say where he was. Then it turns out he's in Europe. It was all so secretive and under wraps. Once he retired, I wondered if he had been doing rehab for opioid addiction.

 

When he came back in 2018, he talked about having been in a bad place mentally and emotionally. Then a year later, he retired abruptly, after dealing with what seemed like a relatively minor injury that seemed to come out of nowhere. They couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, and if he didn't want to have another operation because he didn't want to deal with painkillers again -- and as an NFL player, he couldn't use more homeopathic pain management methods -- then some options were off the table for him. 

 

Again, all just a theory that came from my head.

 

I'm not entertaining the thought of Luck coming back. He's not coming back.

I assumed that a part of it was fighting off an addiction/depression. This also might explain, Irsay's above and beyond support as he'd have appropriate sympathies to those issues. 

I don't see how the buttress' the idea that he'd come back. Getting out of that hole, to dance on the edge of it again doesn't seem like a thing he'd do.

[DougDew 4,182]

8 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Your theories are usually not up my alley.

 

This one is something I've wondered myself, minus the "temporary" part, because I don't think Luck is coming back. 

 

Disclaimer: The following is just a product of my imagination, nothing I'm suggesting actually happened in reality. Just a what-if.

 

But I wondered if maybe he was having issues with painkillers back in 2016-17, especially when he left the team for a few weeks in 2017 and no one would say where he was. Then it turns out he's in Europe. It was all so secretive and under wraps. Once he retired, I wondered if he had been doing rehab for opioid addiction.

 

When he came back in 2018, he talked about having been in a bad place mentally and emotionally. Then a year later, he retired abruptly, after dealing with what seemed like a relatively minor injury that seemed to come out of nowhere. They couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, and if he didn't want to have another operation because he didn't want to deal with painkillers again -- and as an NFL player, he couldn't use more homeopathic pain management methods -- then some options were off the table for him. 

 

Again, all just a theory that came from my head.

 

I'm not entertaining the thought of Luck coming back. He's not coming back.

IMO, when things don't make sense, its okay to think about it and entertain possibilities, discarding extreme iterations and settling on something reasonable.  That's the sign of an intelligent mind, not a conspirator's mind.  And the Luck saga in its entirety had things that seemed very uncommon.

 

I don't think he would come back either.

[shasta519 2,886]

4 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Your theories are usually not up my alley.

 

This one is something I've wondered myself, minus the "temporary" part, because I don't think Luck is coming back. 

 

Disclaimer: The following is just a product of my imagination, nothing I'm suggesting actually happened in reality. Just a what-if.

 

But I wondered if maybe he was having issues with painkillers back in 2016-17, especially when he left the team for a few weeks in 2017 and no one would say where he was. Then it turns out he's in Europe. It was all so secretive and under wraps. Once he retired, I wondered if he had been doing rehab for opioid addiction.

 

When he came back in 2018, he talked about having been in a bad place mentally and emotionally. Then a year later, he retired abruptly, after dealing with what seemed like a relatively minor injury that seemed to come out of nowhere. They couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, and if he didn't want to have another operation because he didn't want to deal with painkillers again -- and as an NFL player, he couldn't use more homeopathic pain management methods -- then some options were off the table for him. 

 

Again, all just a theory that came from my head.

 

I'm not entertaining the thought of Luck coming back. He's not coming back.

 

The opioid addiction/dependence is another interesting theory...and would explain an aversion to managing yet another injury...even if it wasn't severe. Theoretically, HGH could fix his injuries long-term...and allow him to avoid daily pain management.

 

Whatever the reason...we know he went to Europe for a treatment of some kind...and was meant to be secretive...which points to either a private matter (mental health issues) or a matter of legality (HGH treatment). 

 

Let's also not forget how swole he was when he came to camp in 2018. Not that Luck hasn't always been a big dude...but he was noticeably more muscular than before. 

[shasta519 2,886]

8 minutes ago, DougDew said:

I meant to write my message using the sarcasm font.  Sorry.

 

To be clear, I think both HGH and steroids are legitimate therapy for injuries or health issuesy.  Nothing immoral about them, IMO.  The NFL bans them for obvious reasons.

 

I didn't sense any sarcasm. HGH is a very effective treatment for injuries...but one that wouldn't be available to a current player. If you were no longer a current player...you could take it and rebuild...and then return to the game possibly. 

[Coffeedrinker 8,123]

15 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Just sayin. Earlier someone was asking why any team would trade for Luck when he retired on the Colts two weeks before the season. Again, the trade would be conditional. 

I know and you are correct.

[Coffeedrinker 8,123]

1 minute ago, shasta519 said:

 

I didn't sense any sarcasm. HGH is a very effective treatment for injuries...but one that wouldn't be available to a current player. If you were no longer a current player...you could take it and rebuild...and then return to the game possibly. 

Now it won't be an issue.  Per the current CBA players can no longer be suspended for failed drug tests, they can only be fined.  

 

That is by the league.  I don't know if the teams can then suspend a player or not.

[Superman 37,215]

4 minutes ago, The Fish said:

I assumed that a part of it was fighting off an addiction/depression. This also might explain, Irsay's above and beyond support as he'd have appropriate sympathies to those issues. 

I don't see how the buttress' the idea that he'd come back. Getting out of that hole, to dance on the edge of it again doesn't seem like a thing he'd do.

 

At the time of the retirement, he had been dealing with that weird ankle/calf issue for at least two months, and it wasn't going away. He could have felt like he would have to use painkillers to make it through the season. Or with the uncertainty of what it was, maybe he was considering surgery, but knew that would come with significant pain during recovery.

 

A year or two later, the leg issue could be gone entirely. So the immediate conflict related to managing pain is no longer there.

 

I agree with you though, it would be naive to assume that any NFL player could play without experiencing serious pain. However, in March of 2020, the NFL's testing policy for marijuana changed dramatically, to the extent that it's now basically a viable option for pain management. If a player isn't already in the drug testing program due to previous positive tests, he basically only has to worry about being randomly tested during a small window at the start of training camp. And the penalties for a positive test no longer includes a suspension.

 

So if that were a player's preferred method of pain management, the new policy makes it a lot easier to get by.

[shasta519 2,886]

6 minutes ago, DougDew said:

IMO, when things don't make sense, its okay to think about it and entertain possibilities, discarding extreme iterations and settling on something reasonable.  That's the sign of an intelligent mind, not a conspirator's mind.  And the Luck saga in its entirety had things that seemed very uncommon.

 

I don't think he would come back either.

 

From the moment Hasselback patted Luck on the chest...nothing about the Luck saga has been common. The secrecy...the misleading of fans...the incredibly long rehab...the Europe trip...the sudden retirement...all of it. 

[Superman 37,215]

3 minutes ago, Coffeedrinker said:

Now it won't be an issue.  Per the current CBA players can no longer be suspended for failed drug tests, they can only be fined.  

 

That is by the league.  I don't know if the teams can then suspend a player or not.

 

That's specific to marijuana. The PED policy was made more strict than it already was. First positive test for anabolic steroids is a six game suspension now; was previously four games. I believe HGH is treated as an anabolic steroid by the PED policy.

 

And teams cannot suspend players for drug violations, only the league can. A team can suspend a player for conduct detrimental, but if that's related to a drug violation, it will be challenged and the team will (most likely) lose. 

[Superman 37,215]

13 minutes ago, DougDew said:

IMO, when things don't make sense, its okay to think about it and entertain possibilities, discarding extreme iterations and settling on something reasonable.  That's the sign of an intelligent mind, not a conspirator's mind.  And the Luck saga in its entirety had things that seemed very uncommon.

 

I don't think he would come back either.

 

Not to go diving too far down this particular rabbit hole... but the bolded is a major point of variance for people. What doesn't make sense to one might be completely understandable to another. And some people will latch onto something that they don't immediately understand, and rather than trying to understand it they will assume their lack of understanding means that it fundamentally 'doesn't make sense,' and therefore something else must be up.

 

So a person's baseline understanding of certain issues, couple with how quickly that person can go from trusting to skeptical has a lot to do with whether they entertain alternative possibilities, and to what extent.

[DougDew 4,182]

30 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Not to go diving too far down this particular rabbit hole... but the bolded is a major point of variance for people. What doesn't make sense to one might be completely understandable to another. And some people will latch onto something that they don't immediately understand, and rather than trying to understand it they will assume their lack of understanding means that it fundamentally 'doesn't make sense,' and therefore something else must be up.

 

So a person's baseline understanding of certain issues, couple with how quickly that person can go from trusting to skeptical has a lot to do with whether they entertain alternative possibilities, and to what extent.

Understood.  Any person who finds things that don't make sense to them has the right to fill in the facts with speculation and intuition.  That's called connecting the dots, IMO; and that's a big part of life and understanding things as to move forward with decision making. 

 

The idea that is sometimes common on this forum is that people are often criticized for simply expressing an opinion, even a reasoned one, without facts or data to back it up.  That's unrealistic.  Nobody ever has the all of the facts about something before they need/want to have an opinion.  

 

I like your theory about the pain killer addiction.  There was a selfie of him over in Europe where he looked emaciated compared to his normal 6.4 stocky build we're used to, which is how addicts will appear.  Also, while Ballard took a pretty objective look at the situation, which his is job, Irsay was the voice who seemed to leave the door open.  Jimmy had pain killer issues himself and may have been able to see some familiar signs in Luck's behavior and thought there was a greater possibility Luck might change his mind when things cleared up.

 

With addiction events, people are nervous about falling back into addiction, and the farther removed they are from the incident the more their confidence grows, which can change their outlook and priorities as time passes.

[pgt_rob 2,465]

2 hours ago, Superman said:

 

Your theories are usually not up my alley.

 

This one is something I've wondered myself, minus the "temporary" part, because I don't think Luck is coming back. 

 

Disclaimer: The following is just a product of my imagination, nothing I'm suggesting actually happened in reality. Just a what-if.

 

But I wondered if maybe he was having issues with painkillers back in 2016-17, especially when he left the team for a few weeks in 2017 and no one would say where he was. Then it turns out he's in Europe. It was all so secretive and under wraps. Once he retired, I wondered if he had been doing rehab for opioid addiction.

 

When he came back in 2018, he talked about having been in a bad place mentally and emotionally. Then a year later, he retired abruptly, after dealing with what seemed like a relatively minor injury that seemed to come out of nowhere. They couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, and if he didn't want to have another operation because he didn't want to deal with painkillers again -- and as an NFL player, he couldn't use more homeopathic pain management methods -- then some options were off the table for him. 

 

Again, all just a theory that came from my head.

 

I'm not entertaining the thought of Luck coming back. He's not coming back.

 

That would be one hell of a conspiracy story. Frankly, it sounds like it could be easily possible too. If so, it would be top headlines for weeks.  I personally don't see it, but hey, anything is possible in this crazy world.

[Colt.45 183]

It's unlikely that this happens.

 

However, if it did, you'd have to be nuts not to want him back on your team. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. 

Some people are upset, sure. But you'd pass on a top 5 QB because of emotional entanglements? Insanity.

[w87r 2,406]

1 hour ago, Colt.45 said:

emotional entanglements

[AZColt11 2,037]

I've got other, unanswerable topics going through my mind on the daily like how infinite are the cosmos, whether or not there's other life forms out there, and if so, could they get here?  Etc.  

 

Whether or not Luck is coming back is not one of'em.

[RollerColt 2,672]

On 8/5/2020 at 11:05 AM, Superman said:

But I wondered if maybe he was having issues with painkillers back in 2016-17, especially when he left the team for a few weeks in 2017 and no one would say where he was. Then it turns out he's in Europe. It was all so secretive and under wraps. Once he retired, I wondered if he had been doing rehab for opioid addiction.

 

I mean... Just from personal experience: it's really, really easy to get hooked on that crap. I nearly fell into that path after my tonsillectomy... My family has a long history of addiction, so it's always in the back of my head to be extra careful.  

[shasta519 2,886]

11 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

 

I mean... Just from personal experience: it's really, really easy to get hooked on that crap. I nearly fell into that path after my tonsillectomy... My family has a long history of addiction, so it's always in the back of my head to be extra careful.  

 

Yep. Some are allergic or get sick when they take pain pills...they are so very fortunate in that way. Others are not as lucky. And a person with easy access to a consistent supply (like a pro football player for example)...that could get ugly real fast.

 

Not to deter the thread...but what is happening with Purdue Pharma is too little too late...there is no way they can repay the debt for the damage they cause. 

[RollerColt 2,672]

13 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

 

Yep. Some are allergic or get sick when they take pain pills...they are so very fortunate in that way. Others are not as lucky. And a person with easy access to a consistent supply (like a pro football player for example)...that could get ugly real fast.

 

Not to deter the thread...but what is happening with Purdue Pharma is too little too late...there is no way they can repay the debt for the damage they cause. 

It's sad really... We treat our symptoms more than trying to get to the root cause of our symptoms... As if they'll magically vanish away over time. That process, the wait and see approach, can be so damaging to a person's mind and will. I takes a great amount of strength to wake up each day and truly believe that at some point it will get better. I barely had the patience from my recovery, and now with the COVID-19 fallout I'm again on a daily quest to improve my health. Sigh...

 

I totally can understand where Luck is coming from, in terms of that standpoint. 

[shasta519 2,886]

2 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

It's sad really... We treat our symptoms more than trying to get to the root cause of our symptoms... As if they'll magically vanish away over time. That process, the wait and see approach, can be so damaging to a person's mind and will. I takes a great amount of strength to wake up each day and truly believe that at some point it will get better. I barely had the patience from my recovery, and now with the COVID-19 fallout I'm again on a daily quest to improve my health. Sigh...

 

I totally can understand where Luck is coming from, in terms of that standpoint. 

 

It is sad...and not to sound too cynical...but that's where the money is...in treating the symptoms...not the cause. Healthy people typically don't have medical bills or have monthly prescription needs. But that is a whole other rabbit hole to go down. 

[SC-Coltsfan 121]

The reason he's coming back is because he knows he won't have to play for the next 3 years. Rivers is going to win us a Super Bowl this year and then get a new 3 year contract. 

[smittywerb 427]

Honestly, it would be perfect.

 

rivers is a rental.  JB is leaving after his contract is up for a starting position.  Eason can sit behind Luck and continue to learn.

 

luck slides right back in with an improved offense and defense.  Takes us to the next 10 Super Bowls

[CheezyColt 1,049]

1 hour ago, smittywerb said:

Honestly, it would be perfect.

 

rivers is a rental.  JB is leaving after his contract is up for a starting position.  Eason can sit behind Luck and continue to learn.

 

luck slides right back in with an improved offense and defense.  Takes us to the next 10 Super Bowls

This was perhaps the hardest part of my acceptance of his retirement.  We finally had a good o-line and an improving defense.  I still don't think he's ever coming back, but having him behind this o-line would be fantastic, lol.