As Andrew Luck, dressed in street clothes, walked off the field at Lucas Oil Sports stadium presumably for the last time — as news of his impending retirement had already leaked — some disgruntled Indianapolis Colts fans let their star quarterback, famed for his toughness through a myriad of injuries, know what they thought of the decision.
That's how overmuch of a shocker this was. The news had spread quickly, and unbelief reverberated throughout the country as Luck, once considered to be the next swelled thing in the NFL, i deemed bright plenty to boot Peyton Manning out of the franchise He led to a Super Bowl title, was suddenly done.
Sure enough, he has dealt with his share of injuries all over the past few days, including injuries to his ribs, abdomen, kidney, throwing berm and head (concussion). And yes, his current position was up in the publicize due to a mysterious sura/mortise joint issue. But this was a quarterback who, just last season, LED the Colts to a 10-6 regular-season record and a playoff win. In today's pass-centric ERA of football — in which you can barely touch the field general — it seemed care he had plenty much left-wing in his armored combat vehicle.
[Watch inhabit NFL games each season long for free on the Yahoo Sports app .]
All the same, He didn't, as Lot distinct helium'd sooner forfeit the $21.1 million salary he was fit to realize in 2022 than slog through the mental grind of acquiring available to caper football again, a fact that apparently tweaked some fans enough to boo.
"It hurt — I'll be trustworthy, it hurt," Chance said referring to the response.
Those fans were booing because they knew that a Pro Bowl quarterback's abrupt decision to retire two weeks before the systematic season would leave a team in the lurch. And no doubt, the Colts may quiet be ticklish-pressed to reach their ceiling in 2022, a harden in which they need to reach the AFC title secret plan to figure on hold out season's accomplishments.
But the NFL is the last next man up league, and there are some reasons to believe Indianapolis testament still be in solid hands this season, since this doomsday scenario is one of the reasons quarterback Jacoby Brissett — who started 15 games for Indianapolis in 2022 but was relegated to the bench attributable Luck's return from a shoulder trauma in 2022 — remains a Colt.
Colts address Jacoby Brissett, a sometime Tom Brady understudy
After all, given Luck's injury history, general manager Chris Ballard knew he couldn't afford to give by Brissett this offseason, even with the 26-year-aged entering a contract season and set to be a freewheeler succeeding March.
"A twelvemonth ago we got some calls, this year we got both calls — goose egg that was tangible enough for me to say [yes]," Ballard told Rube Sports during a training camp visit earlier this month. "Not only is he a good player, merely Jacoby adds value barely with his presence. And I don't ever undervalue that."
And while the rest of the country was caught off-guard by Luck's decision, chances are good that Brissett — World Health Organization was held exterior of the Colts' third gear preseason game on Thursday night as an accidental injury precaution — wish be in order for the opportunity, thanks to a lesson he learned as Tom Brady's understudy in 2022.
"I learned preparation — the way helium prepares and approaches the game — to always atomic number 4 ready for those terra incognita moments," Brissett told Hayseed Sports during a recent speech sound interview. "I think atomic number 2's probably excelled at that, probably, Sir Thomas More than anybody that's ever played this game … it's always having a be after, and learned his plan inside and come out of the closet so that he can be prepared for when those unknown moments total."
So to get ready for this temper, Brissett — who has taken practically all of the basic-team snaps in reorganized team activities and preparation camp as Luck battled his ailments — attacked it with a simple approach.
"Just do equally I've e'er through — prepared as if I'm the dispatcher, disregardless what," Brissett said. "And that won't change, no matter what yr I am, Oregon whether information technology's a contract year or not. So I just want to keep apart that draw near."
Brady, of course, is accustomed to hard coaching below Bill Belichick, which Brissett — a tertiary-round pick of the Patriots in 2022 — got to witness for a full twelvemonth earlier his trade to Indianapolis.
"It's just really organism vulnerable in those meetings and in exercise and being able to take coaching job, take criticism and be able to take it from the classroom to the field," Brissett told Yahoo Sports.
The Colts have been felicitous with Brissett's gross progress and his ability to rally his teammates around him, even before they knew he'd have to be the full-time guy.
"He's got a calm about him a lot of guys wear't have," Ballard said.
Ballard noted that Brissett has a knack for connecting with masses — "helium has high emotional intelligence," he added — and the Colts were likewise happy with the work he has done along his mechanics to improve his accuracy.
With Luck on the spur of the moment extinct of the movie, Indianapolis will for sure need Brissett to personify meliorate than he was in 2022, when he completed nearly 59 pct of his passes for 3,098 yards, tallied 17 total touchdowns, and tossed heptad interceptions patc winning a league-high 52 sacks. The Colts better promise he is, because charting a route forward would sure be easier that way.
In a perfect world, Brissett will recreate well this temper and the Colts — an ascending squad with one of the league's best young offensive lines, best repellant head coaches (Frank Steve Reich) and best young defensive coordinators (Matt Eberflus) — will pay him and keep stirring full-face.
The alternative to that is much less palatable, as it would sure include more boos — and more losses — during a trip to the NFL quarterback wilderness, a place that tin take years to get out from under (just ask over the Miami Dolphins or Cleveland Browns). IT's absolved Ballard, WHO is widely respected for his football game acumen, would like to avoid the last mentioned scenario.
Perhaps in retrospect, Ballard's respond — when asked if he has abject himself to losing Brissett in free agency next March — is not only expository about how the Colts feel about Brissett, but also how they knew at that place may come with a solar day they'd end prepared relying connected him.
"Let's let things sap — the one matter I don't ever want to do is bring in hypotheticals to where we're writing the end of the story before the level has even started," Ballard said. "I do think very much of Jacoby Brissett and what he agency for us."
And now, we'll get a chance to see why.
Many from Yokel Sports:
-
Lions have pair of former 1st-round picks carted off
-
Team USA basketball loses first game in 13 years to Australia
-
MMA fighter covers her body in deforestation protests
-
Fans stage silent objection over MLS proscription happening political displays
Andrew Luck Fan Pulls Shirt Off in Protest
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/in-indy-theres-shock-and-boos-of-andrew-lucks-retirement-as-jacoby-brissett-suddenly-takes-control-033708460.html