Andrew Luck has fallen out of the limelight, and he seems to like it that way.
“He’s one of these millennials that isn’t involved with social media,” Andrew Luck’s father and XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Wednesday. “I guess there’s still a handful of those guys out there. As a result, it was very easy for him to get out of the spotlight and live his own life.”
The 30-year-old stunned the sports world by walking away from football days before the start of the 2019 season, leaving the Colts to rely on backup Jacoby Brissett for the season. Now that the quarterback free agent market is rapidly approaching a fever pitch, Oliver was asked if his son had any desire to return.
“No, thank you for asking. He’s Mr. Mom right now,” he said. “He and his wife had their first child about three months ago. He’s doing a lot of babysitting.”
The Stanford graduate was selected first in the 2012 NFL Draft and spent all seven seasons as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. As Peyton Manning’s heir apparent, he helped lead the team to three consecutive 11-5 seasons in his first three years, advancing to the playoffs each time. In 2016, Luck inked a six-year, $140 million blockbuster contract which made him the highest-paid player in the league at the time.
Luck underwent shoulder surgery on his throwing arm following the 2016 season and was forced to sit out the entire 2017 season. In 2018, he started all 16 games, led the Colts to the playoffs and was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. On Aug. 24, Luck announced his retirement at the age of 29.
“I’ve been stuck in this process,” he said in a press conference following the Colts’ third preseason game against the Bears. “I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. It’s taken the joy out of this game … the only way forward for me is to remove myself from football. This is not an easy decision. It’s the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me.”
Brissett, 27, started 15 games this past season and finished with 2,942 yards and 18 touchdowns and completed 60.9 percent of his passes. The Colts finished with a 7-9 record.
Luck married longtime girlfriend Nicole Pechanec in March 2019. The two met at Stanford and have one daughter, Lucy, who was born on Nov. 12. Luck’s father says he admires Andrew’s bravery to step away from the game when he did.
“[Andrew] did sort of lament to me how the Colts had such a good offense as he was working through his own issues,” Oliver said. “Guys like me were told when we were done. I really admire that because that’s taking control. It’s also taking care of your post-career future, which is critical for a lot of guys.”