Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.
Andrew Luck retired from the NFL just days before the 2019 season started, and the official story is that wear and tear got to him, causing him to fall out of love with the game.
His former tight end Eric Ebron has unveiled a new twist to the story that appears to pit general manager Chris Ballard against Luck in a bizarre ultimatum.
“[Luck] don’t tell nobody this. This is the backstory,” Ebron began. “He’s so tired of injury that he just doesn’t want to do surgery. You know who the man is around there that gets on everyone’s nerves. Big draws over there behind that desk.”
“He tells Andrew, ‘You’re either playing this year or we’re moving on,’” Ebron said. “Who the f–k would tell Andrew Luck that? Right? Andrew Luck now says, ‘I’m not going to be ready, I’m tired of playing with pain. I’m going to retire.’”
Luck who suffered a pile of serious injuries, including concussions, a shoulder injury, a lacerated kidney, and an abdominal tear, opted to call it quits on his NFL career.
He’d signed a six-year, $140 million contract in 2016. Given he only fulfilled two years of that contract, the Colts could have forced Luck to pay back the $24.8 million in signing bonus money, though late Colts owner Jim Irsay opted not to make Luck return the money in an act of good faith and appreciation for his six strong years with the team.
Since then, Luck has found a career with his alma mater, Stanford University, where he is the general manager of the football team.
Ballard has struggled to find a QB since Luck departed Indianapolis, with his selection of Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft largely considered a bust.
He may have figured things out with former Giants quarterback, who he just signed to a two-year deal worth $88 million that could surpass $100 million with incentives.