Out of Luck: Where Do the Indianapolis Colts Go Now?

With Andrew Luck suddenly out of the picture, can the Indianapolis Colts season be salvaged?

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Andrew Luck’s retirement truly came out of left field. After battling injuries for years, Luck finally made it back to the spotlight in 2018, supplanting his name the ranks of the elite. After winning Comeback Player of the Year last season, Luck’s recent retirement was a shock to the entire universe. But in the NFL, there’s no time to stand around and fret. This Indianapolis franchise is ready to move on. But the question is, what do they do now?

Don’t Hate On Luck

While he had planned to hold a press conference, word of Luck’s retirement leaked out days before he could make an official statement. And to make matters worse, it happened during a preseason game while Luck was sitting hurt on the sideline. With the sudden shock, a ton of fans **actually booed** their star quarterback as he left the stadium.

As the news became official, there were mixed opinions between fans on whether it was the right move or not. When Luck was drafted No. 1 overall back in 2012, he was viewed as a “once in a decade” prospect of the same mold as Peyton Manning (and about to play for the same team). While he was elite when he was healthy, he never truly lived up to his potential.

[embed]The Blueprint For Andrew Luck In 2019, with a creative coach, weaponry, elite offensive line and good health, Luck is ready to capture an MVP and…medium.com

The thing we have to consider is the nature of Luck’s injuries. When he suffered that shoulder injury, he thought he would be back after a few days. He ended up coming back two YEARS later. Every week during his rehab he thought, “I’ll be back next week.” And frankly, that has to be mentally draining.

As devastating as something like an ACL tear is, at least you’re given a specific timetable, and an idea as to when you’ll be back. For Luck, it was the uncertainty of not knowing if he would ever be able to play football again that took a toll on his mental health. After three injury-riddled years, Luck did bounce back in 2018. But once again, the most recent calf injury he sustained was of same uncertain nature. We didn’t know if he would be back Week 1, Week 4, or at all.

People want to question Luck’s toughness. That’s nonsense. During his first three years, he was the most hit quarterback in the entire league. He stood in the pocket and took hits while delivering perfect strikes. He’s played with broken ribs, a lacerated kidney and a myriad of other injuries. Luck was nothing else but a great football player and an even better human being. He deserves nothing but respect.

Jacoby Brissett Holds The Key

The Colts were notorious for keeping Jacoby Brissett on their roster despite receiving trade offers with high draft picks. Now it seems their stubbornness has paid off. The former 3rd round pick is the best backup in the NFL. But unfortunately, that’s not saying much. It’s debatable, but Brissett could be considered a Top 25 quarterback, but clearly a downgrade from Luck.

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Brissett was a 16-game starter in 2017 when Luck missed the entire year. His numbers weren’t great, with only 3,098 yards and 13 touchdowns, but it’s important to remember the situation he was in. He was playing in an offense deprived of talent behind a porous offensive line. And having Chuck Pagano as his head coach certainly didn’t help things.

But in the end, everything hinges on Brissett’s current development. We don’t know how Brissett has developed as a passer in the past two years. At 26, he’s still young and the theoretical potential is high. His progress will be the biggest factor in Indy’s success this season, but unlike last time, he won’t be all alone.

Chris Ballard & Frank Reich’s Impact

When head coach Frank Reich stepped on the scene in 2019, things changed for Indianapolis in the snap of a finger.

The Colts offensive line went from a bottom five unit into the top five. That upgrade subsequently sparked a run game that had struggled for years.

With the addition of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the Colts also boasted a Top 10 defense, which was another aspect of this team that’s been hilariously bad for years.

With general manager Chris Ballard taking over in 2017, the Colts have been on the right track with building this franchise. Ballard has set this team up for success with his savvy free agency signings and pristine ability to handpick gems in the NFL Draft. This Colts team is now loaded with young talent that only will continue to get better.

Pagano never gave this Colts offense any sort of real boost. But with Reich at the helm, his innovative play calling had a huge part in what was a career season for Luck in 2018. It’s these sorts of offensive-minded coaches that are taking over the NFL. You can be sure that Reich will make life easy for Brissett as well, giving him a real chance to succeed.

Should They Trade For A Quarterback?

As soon as Luck retired, the immediate speculation was that the Colts would be in the market for a quarterback. But honestly, it’s a tough decision to make. Quarterback is the most important position for any team. And teams will never trade away their franchise quarterback until they don’t believe their current quarterback is not “the guy” anymore. The Colts would really only be able to trade for backup level talent, but there may be some intrigue.

There are a few teams that invested a draft pick into a quarterback for the future but have veterans to bridge the gap. Joe Flacco in Denver is holding down the fort for Drew Lock, while Case Keenum is doing the same for Dwayne Haskins in Washington. Both of those franchises view themselves as playoff contenders, but if they falter, the Colts could make a move for a steady signal-caller.

But frankly, it’s a lot of “what ifs.” What if Kirk Cousins struggles in Minnesota? What if Marcus Mariota is benched for Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee? What if Jameis Winston can’t get it done for Tampa Bay? There’s a ton of speculation, but that’s something to re-visit if Jacoby Brissett struggles with the starting spot. But for now, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.

It Is Not Time To Tank

When Luck went out, everyone’s first overreaction might have been “0–16.” But this isn’t the same Colts team it was a few years ago. They used to rise and fall with Luck. But this team is much more dynamic, even with Brissett at the helm. Could they make the playoffs? Perhaps. But they could also go 4–12. Neither would surprise me. There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle, but it starts with Brissett. How good will he be? We’ll find out soon.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.