The Packers and Raiders are playing in Winnipeg tonight, at Investors Group Field (home of the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers). They are, unexpectedly, playing on an 80-yard-long field – in the CFL, the goalposts are on the goal line (and their field 110 yards long); when the goal posts was moved for the NFL game, the resulting holes in the turf was filled in, but when Packer and Raider officials inspected the turf in those areas, they decided that it was not safe to play on.
On one hand: 'OMG he’s so young and so good this is crazy!
On the other hand: Poor guy has been nothing but injured for the past few years and I have no doubts the pressure of constantly rehabbing and trying to come back is just insane
My prediction: He’ll be back next year. It won’t be a Favre kinda-being-an-asshole kind of thing, but he’ll absolutely recover, he’ll get his mind right, he’ll heal up and want to play again.
That’s my guess too. Maybe it’ll take two years, but I’m betting that he gets that itch again once he feels like he’s of sound body. Guy probably just need to spend a couple months on a beach with a cocktail.
I think Luck comes back in a few years, too. He simply needs a 1-3 year sabbatical. Step away from the game, the circus of attention, let his mind clear, let his body heal up.
He’ll begin getting wistful soon. He’ll miss the game, and start wondering “what if” and “what could have been.” And being only 31 years old or so then, he’ll want one last go at it. Especially if he decides he needs more money.
I think Luck is done. He’s a Stanford guy, and he doesn’t need football the way some people do. There’s more to life than football for someone like Luck. Besides, if there’s one position where taking a year off is bad, it’s QB. It’s one thing if you’re Peyton Manning recovering from a neck injury and still part of what’s happening in the locker room, but when you’re out of football completely, I think it’s a different kind of challenge to come back.
I’ll put it this way: that he’s even contemplating retirement in the prime of his career tells you a lot. He likes football, but it’s not what he wakes up in the morning to live for like Tom Brady or other elite QBs. We’ve seen the last of Andrew Luck in pads. He might very well remain as a broadcaster, though. He’d probably be pretty good.
Redskins just announced Case Keenum as the week one starter. Good move, who knows what’s up with Colt McCoy and don’t throw Haskins out there too soon. I wish Haskins could sit all year, but the hot seat for Gruden will probably make him throw Haskins out there.
That is weird. I seriously thought Luck and RG III were both can’t-miss superstars in the making, and now look like neither will have any kind of career after all.
RGIII’s first year (or was it his 2nd?) with the Skins was actually impressive as I recall. I don’t know if it was impressive statistically, but he found ways to win games and he was fun to watch when he was allowed to scramble. But he showed his ass after that, and he never recovered.
Hard to say what he’s really thinking, because he himself doesn’t know, but Gronk isn’t ruling out a return after he’s finally all healed up. Hey, if he meant No, he’d say No.
Meh. Everything I heard on the radio sounded like a carefully staged and rehearsed event. He won’t say No because saying No would get him out of the news, when he’s trying to keep interest up for his new CBD gig.
You may be right on the larger point, but I disagree with this. I think QB is one of the few positions where a sabbatical isn’t a kiss of death. It’s the least speed/strength dependent job. My sense is that after a couple years away from the day-to-day maintenance that goes into staying in peak physical form it becomes really hard to get it back at other positions. QBs rely so much on their brain and eyes and hands, all things that don’t really deteriorate. I’d think any ramp up period he’d have coming back would be similar to adjusting to a new coaching staff and offense, hard but manageable.
I’m looking forward to when the contest to see which sports analyst/player/former player can be most outraged about Indy fans booing Luck is over.
Would I boo him? No. But he is a franchise QB quitting in his prime in the middle of a contract that (when signed) made him the highest paid player in football. The fans booing are perhaps too invested and lacked perspective in the heat of the moment, but its that very overblown fan investment and out-of-whack perspective that allows the players to get paid millions of dollars in the first place. Millions of dollars that he still gets to keep by the way.
Seriously, fuck those assholes and their sanctimonious bullshit. Luck is totally fucking over this franchise and the news came out in the middle of a preseason game when all fans have that shiny new car feeling about their team. Of course they will be pissed, justifiably.
Should they be burning him in effigy and sending him death threats, of course not, but that’s pretty much always true. Luck is being selfish…which isn’t to say it’s wrong, but he’s literally putting himself first. The team and the fans will pay the price.
And if he comes back in 3 years to play for someone else…watch out.
