Franchise QB Stuns With Decision to Retire

The first man taken in 2012's NFL draft is the first man out ahead of the 2019 season: Franchise QB Andrew Luck watched from the sidelines as his Indianapolis Colts lost a preseason game to the Bears on Saturday, took a deep breath, and tearily announced his retirement at age 29. "This is the hardest decision of my life," he said, per the Indianapolis Star. "But it is the right decision for me." The frequently-injured Luck explained that the toll on his body has "taken my joy of this game away. I've been stuck in this process, haven't been able to live the life I want to live."

The Star notes that fans booed Luck as he left the field for the last time as a player. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't hear the reaction. It hurt," Luck said, while Colts GM admonished disappointed fans that "it's an emotional time," but "this young man has done a lot for the city of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Colts. No one died." With Luck gone, ESPN notes that the Colts turn to 26-year-old Jacoby Brissett, who started 15 games during the 2017 season while Luck was out. (More Andrew Luck stories.)