Commanders Tried to Sign QB Andrew Luck, Says Insider

Andrew Luck was on the Washington Commanders radar just one year ago, despite retiring in 2019.

Jeremy Brener | May 7, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are happy with Sam Howell as their quarterback atop the depth chart going into the offseason, but it took a long way to get there.

Last year, the Commanders were in flux at the position, starting the calendar year off Taylor Heinicke as the quarterback. However, the team scoured the market around the league all offseason, making calls to every team about their quarterback, including a retired one.

"Even so, they didn’t feel the same urgency they did last offseason, when they called every team that might have a quarterback available," ESPN insider John Keim wrote. "They even phoned the retired Andrew Luck, just in case."

Luck, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, retired just before the start of the 2019 season, but the D.C. native is still young enough to play and was considered an option for the Commanders before the team traded for Carson Wentz, another former Indianapolis Colts quarterback.

Wentz ultimately didn't work out and was benched in the middle of the season for Heinicke. After the Commanders didn't qualify for the playoffs, Wentz was cut and Heinicke was not re-signed as he joined the Atlanta Falcons.

Now, the Commanders hope that another former Colts quarterback, Jacoby Brissett, or Howell can get the job done.

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Published May 7, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.