The Indianapolis Colt’s star quarterback shocked the entire National Football League by retiring at the age of 29 a mere two weeks before the start of the season. A lot of people all around the league are wondering why a young Quarterback in his prime would retire so suddenly. Luck himself states that constant injuries were the deciding factor in this decision. Luck has suffered various painful injuries throughout his career which most likely took a huge mental toll on him.

Andrew Luck’s decision to retire is a show of the new trend of players choosing their health over millions of dollars. Andrew Luck left over 127 million dollars on the table by retiring before his five year contract was up. His most recent injury, a lingering calf injury, was the final straw for him. Surgeries and rehab were “miserable” for him. He promised himself he would never put himself through that sort of process again.

So will this continue to be a trend? Players may well decide that leaving for the good of their current and future health is worth more than the huge salary they receive. I believe that NFL players need to take notice of Luck’s decision. The potential dangers of the sport should be taken into account. Overall, I think that this is a sign of things to come.