Colts Head Coach Frank Reich Speaks On Andrew Luck's Retirement

“This morning we talked about the word paradox,” a calm and confident Reich said. “For example, everyone makes a unique contribution on this team, yet everyone is replaceable. We can deeply love and respect and care for each individual, yet the team must come first, therefore, when it came to Andrew’s retirement, that word paradox kind of helps me, can help us make sense of what’s going on. On one hand, we can respect and honor the player and the teammate that Andrew is and was. But at the same time, we can share an excitement and an enthusiasm about the team that we have going forward and the journey ahead of us. Ultimately, it’s not about how good any one player is. It’s not. It’s about how good we are, as a team.”

Reich reiterated that while it’s always difficult to replace a player of Luck’s caliber, the Colts are built to withstand the loss of any one man.

“Someone asked me a question the other day, is there any sense that you felt like Andrew is letting down the team? And the answer was an emphatic no,” the coach said. “And why is that? Colts fans know that we use a metaphor around here of climbing Mount Everest to depict the journey of a regular season, and the quest to get to the top and win a world championship. And anyone who’s made that climb knows that it requires a total commitment of the heart, complete and total commitment of the heart. When Andrew spoke to us the other day, he spoke of how the cycle of injury and pain and rehab, injury, pain, rehab, injury, pain, rehab, over four years had taken its toll. It had essentially sucked the passion, the joy, the fun out of football. So, Andrew did the right thing. He did the right thing for himself, and he did the right thing for the team, knowing the requirement and the commitment that’s needed of the journey ahead. He did the courageous thing, and he did the honorable thing.”

Luck’s abrupt retirement came after he was worn down after a litany of health issues from a lacerated kidney, a shoulder injury that wiped out an entire season, and the latest calf/ankle issue.