5 Most shocking retirements in NFL history ft. Andrew Luck

#3 – Jim Brown

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Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown’s decision to retire from the NFL was also a surprise. Brown was arguably the most dominant player in the league during the 1950s and 1960s, having won the MVP award three times during his nine-year career. Brown was even the MVP two years on the trot from entering the league, asserting his clear dominance.

However, he decided to leave the league aged just 30 after being cast into the movie Dirty Dozen. At the time, he was the league’s all-time leading rusher and still sits 11th on the list.

#2 – Luke Kuechly

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Luke Kuechly was the lynchpin of the Carolina Panthers defense for the best part of a decade. He decided to call it quits when he was only 28.

Kuechly was an excellent middle linebacker named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He helped the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2015. But throughout his career, he had a history of concussions, ultimately leading to his retirement. While he didn’t specifically say this was the reason he called it quits, Kuechly did acknowledge that he had three separate concussions the season before.

Since retirement, he has spent time scouting and coaching for the Panthers and the Buffalo Bills.

#1 – Andrew Luck

Cleveland Browns v Indianapolis Colts

Arguably the most shocking retirement decision of recent times came when Andrew Luck announced he was stepping away from football after the 2018 season. In that 2018 season, Luck won NFL Comeback Player of the Year and was voted to the Pro Bowl.

However, news broke during an Indianapolis Colts preseason game that he was to retire. Luck was inexplicably booed off the field, which led to the announcement in the post-game press conference.

Luck battled injuries throughout his time in the NFL, having missed all of 2017 due to injury, but all fans expected him to kick on after an excellent 2018 campaign. However, Luck ended his seven-year career on a high.