When the former Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron made the shocking claim that general manager Chris Ballard forced iconic quarterback Andrew Luck into retirement prior to the beginning of the 2019 season, the internet erupted into flames.
Following Ebron’s viral statement, Luck has come forward to say whether such an ultimatum was presented to him.
Andrew Luck Shuts Down Retirement Ultimatum Claim
Ebron, who spent two seasons with Luck and the Colts in 2018 and 2019, recently went on his “On My Soul” podcast to offer his listeners insight into the quarterback’s surprising retirement in 2019.
“He tells Andrew, ‘You’re either playing this year, or we’re moving on,’” Ebron said of Ballard. “Andrew Luck now says, ‘I’m not gonna be ready. I’m tired of playing with pain. I retire.’”
According to Ebron, this was the interaction that occurred just weeks before the beginning of the 2019 season. Luck’s retirement was then announced during the fourth quarter of a Colts preseason game against the Bears.
However, after sharing this news, Luck came forward to dispute any notion of an ultimatum from Ballard.
“Chris and I had a wonderful partnership, especially through my decision to retire, and we remain close,” Luck said. “Any notion of internal pressures that influenced my decision are without merit.”
After his surprise retirement before the 2019 season, the story still remains shocking and surprising, now with two contradicting claims about why Luck suddenly retired after a great season in 2018.
Luck’s 2018 season is graded as his best according to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric. The Colts star earned a QBi grade of 81.3 (B-) and ranked 11th among eligible quarterbacks that season. He stepped away from the game after playing six seasons for the Colts, during which he threw for 23,671 passing yards and 171 passing touchdowns.
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Since Luck’s retirement, the Colts have had 13 different quarterbacks to start for them in the last seven seasons. Here’s the full list:
2019
- Jacoby Brissett (15 starts)
- Brian Hoyer (1 start)
2020
- Philip Rivers (16 starts + 1 playoff)
2021
- Carson Wentz (17 starts)
2022
- Matt Ryan (12 starts)
- Sam Ehlinger (3 starts)
- Nick Foles (2 starts)
2023
- Gardner Minshew (13 starts)
- Anthony Richardson (4 starts)
2024
- Anthony Richardson (11 starts)
- Joe Flacco (6 starts)
2025
- Daniel Jones (13 starts)
- Philip Rivers (3 starts, came out of retirement at age 44)
- Riley Leonard (1 start)
Luck remains one of the biggest “what if” stories in football. He was a star quarterback in the NFL and one of the best college football quarterbacks ever seen, but his career was cut short by constant injuries.
Coming out of Stanford, the sky was the limit for Luck, but ultimately, the constant pain that came with playing the sport drove away his love for the game. He now remains at his alma mater, serving as general manager of Stanford’s football team.
