Andrew Luck Booed By Colts Fans After News of His Retirement Breaks
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck retired from the NFL on Saturday night, and Indianapolis fans were not happy about it.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported during the Colts' preseason game against the Bears that Luck had informed the team of his decision. As word of the report spread around Lucas Oil Stadium, Luck was seen standing on the sidelines talking with his teammates. Once the game ended, fans booed him as he exited the field. The 29-year-old signal-caller ended up holding an impromptu press conference to confirm the news.
Luck told reporters that he planned to make the announcement on Sunday afternoon, but once the news broke he decided he had to address it Saturday night after the preseason game.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard addressed the boos. Although he said he understood why the fans had an emotional response to the news, he made sure to put the retirement into perspective.
"For those people that booed tonight–this is an emotional night, I understand that. This young man did a lot for the city of Indianapolis. Nobody died."
Luck also said he heard the boos loud and clear.
"Yeah, it hurt. I'll be honest, it hurt."
Luck was set to enter his eighth season with the Colts—though he missed all of the 2017 season due to injury. He tallied 23,671 career yards with 171 touchdowns in 86 games while leading Indianapolis to four playoff appearances.