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Jim Irsay Responds To Andrew Luck Returning To Colts

Jim Irsay Responds To Andrew Luck Returning To Colts

Jim Irsay Responds To Andrew Luck Returning To Colts

Jim Irsay responded to Andrew Luck possibly returning to the Colts recently.

When Luck abruptly retired before the 2019 season, it threw the entire NFL for a loop.

At no point in recent memory had a player of his stature quit so suddenly, with no pressing football injury forcing him to do so.

Naturally, because Luck was reasonably healthy at the time of his retirement, many wondered if it was only temporary. The logic was that maybe the former Stanford star simply needed some time to recharge mentally and physically, before ultimately returning to the fold.

As such, one of the hottest questions facing Indianapolis over the past few months has been whether Luck may come back at some point.

In a conversation with the media this past week, Irsay addressed that very question. The Colts owner said in no uncertain terms that he could not comment on a scenario where Luck returns at any point in the foreseeable future.

Irsay insisted that, despite reports of head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard meeting with Luck recently over a dinner, he could not say “anything in terms of will he ever come back.”

Obviously, that is not a hard no.

“I know you guys wanna ask me about Andrew,” Irsay said.

“Andrew’s my friend, and I miss my friend. I miss winning games with him.

“But right now, I know coach has had dinner with him, Chris has (too), but I can’t comment on anything in terms of will he ever come back.”

Back in January, XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said that his son had zero desire to play in the NFL again. He insisted that the 30-year-old is busy enough with his wife and newborn child.

“My wife and I spent some time with him and his growing family,” the elder Luck said at the time.

“He just got his first child about six weeks ago. We were with him over Christmas. He’s doing great. I have not noticed any desires to come back and play, but he’s doing very well.”

Part of the reason for Luck’s retirement was all the damage his body had taken in a relatively short amount of time. Among his injuries: a torn cartilage in two ribs, a partially torn abdomen, a lacerated kidney, at least one concussion, a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder and then of course the calf/ankle issue that ultimately led to his sudden retirement.

Those are just the known injuries that Luck accumulated over the course of six years in the NFL.

With that in mind, it is difficult to see a scenario where he would want to subject his body to that sort of damage again by suiting up for a Colts team that is not exactly a powerhouse.

Could he return to Indianapolis next season? Of course. Stranger things have happened in the NFL. Will he, though? That is not where the smart money is.

Related: Darius Slay Responds To Lions Trading Him To Rams

Jennifer Withers Hoey

Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.

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