Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were the number one and number two overall picks, respectively, in the 2012 NFL Draft. Luck went to the Indianapolis Colts while Griffin went to the Washington Redskins. Both players’ skills at the quarterback position were different. Luck was the more traditional pocket passer, while Griffin was the dynamic mobile quarterback.
Although neither are playing in the NFL anymore, despite expectations of long careers for both, the two quarterbacks are forever tied due to being the top picks in the 2012 NFL Draft. Griffin, who has made a second career as a broadcaster, is known for his hot takes. He recently posted that the Colts have not been the same since Luck shocked the NFL and retired after just seven years in the league.
Although many would agree that Griffin is not wrong nor is it particularly shocking, it’s worth noting that the Colts have cycled through many different quarterbacks since Luck retired. From Jacoby Brissett to Philip Rivers to Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan, Indianapolis has not had much luck replacing their franchise quarterback after enjoying stability at the position, thanks to Peyton Manning and the aforementioned Andrew Luck.
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The Indianapolis Colts have sunk a lot of money into trying to replace Andrew Luck
After Andrew Luck’s departure, the Indianapolis Colts are still searching for that special signal caller. The franchise was able to have the likes of Peyton Manning for decades. Then, they took Andrew Luck as their No. 1 overall pick when the team was ready to move on from Manning. When Luck decided to retire to avoid further physical injury and risk to his quality of life, the Colts have not been able to duplicate their previous success at the position.
In fact, the team invested $145 million to bring in 12 different quarterbacks. Most were past their prime (e.g., Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, etc.,). Brissett, Rivers, Wentz, and Ryan make up most of the money spent on quarterbacks, but Luck was paid $15 million in 2019, despite retiring in 2018, due to guaranteed money previously agreed to in his contract extension.
The Colts have a good coach in Frank Reich, a solid defense, and several playmakers on offense like running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman. If they can just solve the quarterback carousel, the team might be able to return to past glory when Peyton Manning was slinging the ball and slinging multiple commercials on the regular.
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