Pat McAfee Reacts To Andrew Luck Finally Explaining Why He Retired 3 Years After

If you aren't on FanDuel, what are you doing? Go to www.fanduel.com/mcafee to get started.
Listen to us on Sirius XM Channel 82: siriusxm.us/PatMcAfee
Give us a call: 1-833-4McAfee (1-833-462-2333)
Become a channel member for exclusive giveaways, emotes, and more!
/ @thepatmcafeeshow
Subscribe to the Pat McAfee Show(s)!
@Hammer Dahn
@Thats Hockey Talk
@The Pod
@The Pat McAfee Show
MERCH: store.patmcafeeshow.com
SPONSOR THE SHOW: www.patmcafeeshow.com/partner...

[@joshuapaulgibson]

Luck’s early retirement was a decision made based on one thing and one thing only. Longevity and quality of life. He loves his family more than he loved football. Period. Admirable.

[@deependz3231]

Luck hiding out in the Alps as a ski bum, because he's afraid Irsay is gonna ask for some of that money back that Luck didn't earn?

[@Mytowerisaneiffel]

Nah seems like his wife basically forced him to quit so she could have her career

[@AngryDad.]

What a loser 😂

[@AngryDad.]

​@@MytowerisaneiffelAndrrw Cuck 😂

[@MrMydickissohard]

That’s two

[@dodecahippo6378]

The man chose his family over prestige. Honestly, it's a great lesson in priorities. He felt he needed to be more present with his family, he already made his bag, and now he's happy. It's a position I can't even imagine being in, but I'd say he made the right choice

[@Jaggedknife11]

Brady should be taking notes.

[@dmshueyable]

Man, the KZbin comment section can so often be a total turd parade that it is seriously encouraging to see a comment like yours (and so many others on this particular video). Its just nice. Peace

[@tlz124]

That's a recipe for a woman losing respect for the guy she's with

[@SmokinAcexX]

@@tlz124 mans made millons of dollars and has degrees so can find a different job that doesnt kill his body and give him more time to be at home and not travel, this isnt a broke man living off of his wife this guy doesnt need his wife to support him he wants to be with his wife theres a difference

[@tlz124]

@@SmokinAcexX Those are all good points. I'm talking more about the guys who quit doing things because their wife/partner wants more of their time and attention. The guys who give up doing what they love for the sake of pleasing a woman end up getting disrespected by their woman

[@RyanAustinDean]

Andrew Luck basically did what we all wish we could. He retired before his body and mind failed him with loads of money in the bank, and was able to prioritize his family instead of gaining the whole world, but losing his soul.

[@waltrza7683]

Preach!

[@mrpowers4667]

Understanding and agreeing with everything you said: As talented as he was, I never saw the Colts winning a Super Bowl during his time there. Even if he did eventually get there, was it really worth it in the grand scheme of things? He made the right choice for himself and his family, and that’s all that should matter. I recall many Colts fans being PISSED that he left the way he did, but why? What does he owe you? Either way, as I said, I never saw him getting there with that franchise. He would have deteriorated physically very quickly and the Colts would have kicked him into journeyman status as soon as they saw it. Just ask Peyton Manning how the Colts treat a franchise QB at the first sign of trouble. Good for him. He did the right thing.

[@melvinhunt6976]

@@mrpowers4667 Wait a Minute, he signed a Contract! If physically possible he should have stayed until the end of the Contract! He owed That!

[@ChunkyJo]

Yup. Aside from the fact Jackson's injury was horrific, I really admire people like Bo Jackson, Ricky Williams, Calvin Johnson and Andrew Luck who were given a chance to look at it from afar and evaluate what's important in their lives now that their dream is achieved. It takes a lot of guts to make that call. On the flip side of that, I also really feel for Tom Brady as well. I can definitely see the pain he's going through trying to mentally come to terms with the end of his, what's essentially, his entire life. I couldn't imagine concentrating on one single sole purpose for literally my entire life since I was 7 and then having it just... END. Just like that. That has to be a complete mindfuck.

[@phillipbranch2887]

Contract??? Nah, he a quitter

[@MoCo_Filmmaker]

Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, and Andrew Luck gotta applaud them. All were on paths to potentially go down as the best to ever do it at their position and all of them chose their own health and happiness over the sport. Nothing but respect.

[@jonsnipe5484]

No luck was not...

[@kevinhilgenfeld2243]

@@jonsnipe5484 clown 🤡

[@Ravensnation94]

People talk about Lamar in the postseason go look up lucks post season numbers

[@RX7MAN27]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@TJ-nk4de]

Luck is one of the most overrated NFL QBs of all time. Respect him. But you’re way off

[@farminstoltzfus]

Hopefully Luck is a lesson to coaches and front offices that no matter how big and talented your quarterback is, ya gotta protect them. A shame Andrew retired so early, but any respectable fan would understand why he had to.

[@litedawg]

Did you read the article? The dude was like a cyborg. He played a season with a torn labrum, and a lacerated kidney. He was as tough as they came , but the injuries wore him down .

[@TroIIingThemSoftly]

@@litedawg While true, that was kind of the point.

[@Michael-tc1dm]

Shouldn't have done it 2 weeks before the season opener.

[@hemptysgolf]

Lmfaooo book club i LOL

[@GlacialScion]

@@Michael-tc1dm Should've had a more supportive and grateful fanbase.

[@sterling2759]

Andrew Luck also performed in a tough era of college football. He seems like an amazing dude highly intelligent and with a conscience of an angel.

[@deependz3231]

So when is Luck's angel conscience gonna tell him to pay back that money to Irsay that he didn't earn?

[@thehoodedteddy1335]

Also just very polite

[@mobomba6206]

​@@deependz3231the de guy who doesn't want to pay Johnathan Taylor? Sit down somewhere

[@Ryan-ld2nj]

@@deependz3231the billionaire will be fine

[@nickdogg7320]

​@@deependz3231he doesn't need to pay it back. He put his body on the line for that rich asshole.

[@PlyrMava.]

The entire article on Luck was a really good read. I really appreciated that piece to start my day, glad to know Luck is living a life he wants to live. For Pat and others: Luck fell out of love with the game. He lost his ability to enjoy living as he was going through the constant cycle of getting injured, recovery, and injury again. When guys identity was centered around being a QB, he felt trapped. He hated retiring, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Now he's living the most of what he has.

[@AllUpOns]

My impression from the article is not that he ever lost his love for the game itself. Rather he couldn't justify the personality he had to take on to be a franchise NFL quarterback. Basically, he had to be an asshole, and it came out in weird ways like brazenly ordering food for everybody at restaurants. When he went to Holland for recovery, his trainer/therapist started to question and push back on this behavior. The problem is, that behavior was fundamentally linked in Luck's mind with being an NFL QB, and once he decided he didn't want to be that guy anymore, he had to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Ironically, Pat's intuition is pretty much in line with the article that he didn't read.

[@Johenz]

@@AllUpOns yeah that’s what I keep hearing he had to be someone he’s not and he didn’t know how to be so. That’s why he became very controlling, a little insensitive. While you look at someone like a dak, josh Allen, mahomes they’re natural leaders so they know when to lead and when to just lay back. Luck didn’t so he started practicing it off the field.

[@neville78]

Luck was always so fun to watch. I will never forget being at the 2014 playoff game vs the Chiefs, it was a masterpiece. 38-10 some 76 seconds into the third quarter before Luck did the near-impossible: He led them to a 45-44 victory! Lucas oil was shaking downtown. I miss watching him play. No one has come close since

[@jacobmontgomery1954]

Dude me too! Best game I will ever have been at. Like I can’t tell the future but nothing is beating that gams

[@josebillyb.a.8128]

I'm a long time Pats fan but you guys D that 2nd half gets no credit

[@deependz3231]

Guess you never saw Payton play?

[@robinvegas4367]

As a life long Chiefs fan, I could have gone the rest of my life without being reminded of that game.

[@jbird_024]

I read the article. While being a better husband, father, etc were big factors, I think you all understated what I took as just as big of a contributing factor for his retirement which was the injury history, recurrence, and continued struggle with rehabbing/feeling inadequate while being injured/mental toll that cycle took on him.

[@samreichle8843]

Yeah I was very disappointed that Pat, AQ, and everyone else chose to speak on this without taking 20-30 minutes to read a deeply insightful article. It was the same take Pat has had since Luck retired, but it should have been much different and more empathetic based on what Luck spoke to and explained in the article.

[@TheZynMan]

Right, but that doesn't give people a chance to tee off on Tom Brady the way the priorities stuff does, so it's less click-baity and therefore less content-worthy.

[@cbmpire]

Exactly. The same thing he told us when he retired

[@gearsking0]

@@samreichle8843 i mean they literally said in the vid that both pat and AQ would "just suck it up" for 4-6 months of work, even though it would negatively effect luck and his entire family, all because of how much money he could have made, which personally is very distasteful, as it justifies child neglect with the excuse that money will eventually fix the previous wrongs.

[@jeffreyutzinger7906]

Exactly, the article was amazing and was just a little disappointed these guys didn't read it because it was "too long". They barely talked about his injuries and the constant rehab which was the biggest part!

[@BondandBourne]

Andrew Luck held so much promise and had the makings to be amongst the elite quarterbacks of the nfl. It’s a shame the incompetency of Grigson and Irsay ruined any chance of Andrew Luck to be truly great.

[@paulclark8497]

Thank you Andrew for your time as a Colt. Best wishes to him and his family. One of my favorite Colt players.

[@regg32457]

He owned my Titans everytime he played us

[@deependz3231]

@@regg32457 So did everyone else.

[@hawaiiantimes7702]

I’m a bears fan but can honestly say this is one big reason that Aaron Rogers is so good for so long. He’s has absolutely no big distractions for him to be one of the best QBs today. I wish Mr Andrew Luck all the best for his life after football. Go enjoy your children, wife and family young sir.

[@EnzoGorlomi]

I still remember his playoff run in his rookie season. He picked up the fumble and made a crucial td. Dude was tough as nail and just solid man overall, not just as a player.

[@9889cody]

What playoff run? They lost in the wild card.

[@panditas7679]

@@9889cody against the chiefs

[@gatienlaurol5793]

@@panditas7679 His rookie season was an 11-5 record and a first round exit to Baltimore.

[@panditas7679]

@@gatienlaurol5793 oh yeah, so this guy up in the comments meant in his 2nd playoff appearance i think

[@gatienlaurol5793]

@@panditas7679 And also Pat McAfee is misremembering Luck’s rookie season. He’s conflating the 2012 rookie season with the 2014 season (Deflategate).

[@202supra]

It definitely still sucks that he retired. Definitely was a special guy but very happy that he’s doing good. Guy deserves it

[@xxjabarri2xx]

definitely

[@melissaa723]

@@xxjabarri2xx Came here for that comment.

[@andyholstein237]

He was one of the few smart enough to make the right call for his family. I couldn't imagine being too hurt to play with my children either.

[@wesleythompson7]

The guy wasn't special he was and still is a quitter

[@202supra]

@@wesleythompson7 imagine coming onto KZbin and make multiple comments that “Andrew luck is a quitter” and thinking it’s a popular opinion 😂

[@timgehrsitz3267]

If you're also struggling to understand the paragraph they read, here's my easy read version: Luck was searching for "clarity", some sort of definitive answer as to whether or not he should continue playing. He tried to think through what it would be like to retire and what it would be like to keep playing ("told himself stories") hoping this would give him the answer. But what he learned in therapy is that you don't have to be certain about your choice in order to make a decision, because there was no way for him to know what the right choice is, even after you make it. While this didn't help him make a choice one way or another, it helped him come to terms with the decision that he ultimately made.

[@beesmitty3435]

Dude, thanks.. I know the expression 'that gave me cancer' is overused but that paragraph definitely has me scheduling some preliminary appointments

[@jcmphreek]

Andrew was incredible. Stand up man, stand up player. Colts fans should be ashamed forever for the way they booed him off the field. He gave his everything to the game he loved and it broke him down over time for a multitude of reasons, and for him to have the strength to recognize that his time with football could be over and to shift his focus onto his family and the rest of his life is beyond commendable. I wish I got to see a full career out of him because he absolutely would have been in the GOAT conversation at the end of it, and I truly believe when talking about the greatest to ever do it, his name should always be brought up with a little asterisk.

[@KylesDaddy100]

Eh, those weren’t real fans. Those were preseason fans that never go to games and got tix for free.

[@detroitvseverybody3813]

He chose being a father and husband over a quarterback. That is called being a man. Good on you Andrew, i wish nothing but the best!

[@drock430]

So you’re not a man if you’re not a father or husband?

[@rynomclaughlin1595]

@@drock430 That's called making a hard decision as a man

[@terrynicewonger5434]

Look how Well making the other choice to Stay a full time QB on Biggest level ….Cost him years with his Children and His Wife in the end …was it worth it Tom Brady? To some men it is … to others it would be a lifetime of regret!

[@adamwolsey8589]

@@drock430 your life will be better if you quit trying to be offended.

[@nonlethalnuke]

@@adamwolsey8589 and if you don’t have kids

[@Edition89]

Andrew Luck might have been the best ambassador the NFL has ever had. The ultimate teammate and role model.

[@ldturner]

The only thing I wanted for Andrew was to have won a super bowl. He deserved to have that but he also deserves to live his life the way he wants. Love that guy and miss him

[@bigpoppa6742]

Probably in his pants too

[@ldturner]

@@bigpoppa6742 what?

[@Peanutgames2013]

As a lifetime Colts fan I was shocked when Luck retired but honestly I never got mad, he had to do what's best for him and his family.

[@BeingConsciousness-yw3zw]

I always thought the timing of his retirement was a very scummy thing to do and showed a lack of character but it sounds like he regrets that aspect of it.

[@Tusky-ln9jr]

Andrew luck was a franchise changer, hence why the colts are what they are now…..wish him the best, glad I got to see him play

[@timnelcin8717]

Heard he was hung too

[@mysteryhombre81]

Yeah... 4-8 and 1 lol

[@panditas7679]

@@mysteryhombre81 colts have one of the greatest teams in the nfl (easiliy top 5) but their qb every year is absolute piece of trash

[@mysteryhombre81]

@@panditas7679 Yeah to be fair, your not wrong. Matt ryan, is past his prime. Wonder who is will be next year.

[@ManFrancisco]

@@panditas7679 top 5??????? lmfao. Trash QBs can take "top 5" teams to the SB. WTF you smoking???

[@erichorner8336]

Look at Tom, his career, and his family. And what he sacrificed to get to where he is at. Look at Luck, his career, and his family. And what he has prioritized to get to where he is at.

[@imanoldurango8213]

Damn I didn’t know you knew Tom and Andrew personally. Otherwise stfu because you have no idea what their private life is like 😂

[@higglybiggly1174]

@@imanoldurango8213 one is happily married, one was until he decided to keep playing. It's not rocket science

[@andrewaltice2086]

@@higglybiggly1174 and he lost 36 million I believe in this latest scandal!

[@SC68170]

Ehhhhhhhh...

[@user-cz1ss6iy1b]

Brady just built different. Greatness over everything

[@dannyrodriguez5704]

There is literally an article written about Luck's thought process and we're listening to three guys that didn't read the article and one guy that read most of it for answers...freaking hilarious!

[@TylrVncnt]

I mean tbf 2 of em were literally teammates of his at one point in time so there’s that at least

[@deependz3231]

What's really hilarious is the clown who wrote the article is claiming to have crawled inside Luck's head. Someone should ask Luck why he kept that portion of Irsay's money that he didn't earn.

[@MickShrimpton]

Good perspective on how challenging it is for athletes to move on from their respective sports lives. Whether on their terms or not, it’s a major transition and disruption to everything they’ve (in most cases) ever known. Another tough story similar to Andrew Luck’s was Greg Cook’s (Bengals first round pick in ‘69, 5th overall). Cook grew up 2 hours from Cincinnati (Chillicothe, OH) and was a standout and HOFer at UCincy. NFL Films had a nice short feature on Cook’s story. Bill Walsh said he was the most talented QB he ever coached (even after having HOFers Montana and Young). Wishing Luck the best. He made the game better - both during, and now after he’s stepped away, by sharing his story for other athletes going through what he did.

[@zacadams8263]

"To arrive at the clarity, that I don't need more clarity".🔥The more I thought about that line, the deeper it got. Sometimes we know what the right answers are in our lives, but we overcomplicate things out of fear. The dichotomy of simple versus easy.

[@tonnydobbins6443]

I follow what you are speaking about. I fear the unknown, as simple as " what will be thought of my reply" ..? Fear has degrees, age, and is fact or fiction. Usually it involves the presence of "outside the self" energy and' energies

[@Bilal_Aslam_]

He didn’t have an o-line and took way too many hits

[@scj1668]

Yup I still can’t believe he’s on this deflated football stuff though even though it’s been debunked and doesn’t explain why the patriots score 3 rushing touchdowns

[@sinistersageness]

cuck for luck

[@brandone.5106]

@Wax Pack more than half the QBs don’t have the talent that he had.

[@brettmartin3529]

Luck also sought out contact and said it made him feel like a football player. This is why Brady called Luck the most talented but dumbest QB.

[@boricua9071]

@Wax Pack What is wrong with you dude? Get over it.

[@biditnow8869]

Vikes fan here. The shortly lived, Andrew Luck Era Colts, were must watch TV. He helped contribute to some of the best football I've ever seen in the mid 2010's. An era that also included prime Rodgers, Brady, Manning, Brees.

[@jeffpodrug8942]

I was shocked when he retired, but no matter how great and tough you are, there are things you have to give up to be a QB1 in the NFL. He made the right decision. I'm so glad I got to see him play in person at Lucas Oil Stadium. There are few professions that allow you time with your family. I'm not in one, and my family suffered for it. I get it. I was just shocked at the time because he was so young. I'm glad he made the right decision.

[@boxxboyy3879]

As a colts fan, it was beautiful to watch him play and his passion as he played. I blame Grigson and Pagano for him being ruined.

[@IGotPuns]

This clown is obviously scamming you 👆

[@IGotPuns]

@user-cr4jg you fool nobody

[@nicholasselke5214]

You’re forgetting the guy who should shoulder the most blame: Jim Irsay

[@JarradBruessel32]

@Michael Edwards i mean it was literally grigson who willingly ignored improving the o-line. He kept choosing guys they didn't need over an o-line.

[@pugmoo975]

How dare you speak chicks name in vein

[@jamescassell2848]

Josh Allen + Justin Herbert = Andrew Luck

[@liquidswords2636]

I don’t know how lucky we were to witness Luck play the game of football. He was and still is a rare talent, brilliant football mind and a teammate that people would go to war for. I appreciated every year he played the game. As a Ravens fan, I tip my hat to you Luck.

[@wingsandstrings6626]

Andrew luck was my favorite player to ever step foot on a field . He made watching football one the most entertaining things I’ve ever seen. Pains me that it was so short lived as a colts fan. I just wasn’t prepared for it. Bc we’ve not been able to ever recover from it. But he did the right thing. I just wish he realized it a little sooner

[@JeffSmith-nd8ws]

Right. Nobody blames him for quitting for the reasons he finally shared. The issue was WHEN he walked away...just before the start of the season giving the team and his teammates no ability to prepare/adjust. With that said, the Colts still have not solved the QB situation so maybe they could not have even if he had given them more notice. Still wish him the best and I hope he makes the world a better place in whatever he does.

[@nohalfmeasures6]

Andrew Luck was the Dirk Nowitski of the NFL, everyone loved him, his loyalty and his humility.

[@jr950]

Yea but dirk played 21 seasons…

[@mikeytudrick2625]

and Dirk won a championship

[@triathlontimmy]

Dirk played a full career

[@connorleary3080]

turns out he’s nothing like Dirk

[@butterbean2257]

Caveman looks

[@JShadow6661]

Man Luck was my hero. Had no regrets as a Colts fan having him as our QB. Praised him through the roof. Still Rock his Jersey #12 always will.

[@jonsnipe5484]

Wait why was he your hero🤣🤣

[@endofquoterepeattheline7516]

Dude, you need better heroes…

[@marcyfan]

i worked with someone whose family worked for the colts and she went to the super bowl as a result. i imagined how happy she must have been to get andrew luck and how sad she and many others were to not have him. my cousin is the spitting image of andrew and turned 21 today. i called him today, wished him a happy b-day and wondered if he and his grandmother watched videos i told them about years ago saying "he looks like the great and retired andrew luck".

[@shanes1221]

He was your hero… 😂

[@williamlembke7828]

That article excerpt was amazingly written. Love it. Hard to come by anything written so fancifully like that anymore.

[@jacobtarter2237]

Honestly after this video , it kinda makes me understand the Tom Brady situation a lot more . Cause like u said if u wanna be a great QB, you have to have all your focus on football and being a great QB. Which will affect your relationship outside of football. And when you do that for 24-25 years and you stop and retire, it’ll take along time to get really get over it and get used to it . And Gisele just got tired of it

[@christophergorniak9709]

And she decided either let me control you or I’m leaving. She took toms decision and got mad when he wouldn’t cater. Happy for Tom for not letting someone control him

[@whitewindbluehand]

@@christophergorniak9709 LOL bet you have a great relationship bro. Get out of yo basement.

[@scottwhitehead4467]

As a Colts fan I very selfishly miss having Andrew Luck as our QB over the past 3-4 years, but I completely respect his decision. He made one of the most difficult decisions imaginable on a very public stage, certainly knowing he would receive intense criticism and scrutiny. I read the article, and it is a good and illuminating one. I hope he finds purpose and peace. He deserves that as much as anyone.

[@cedmorrow8205]

Titans fan here I'm glad he's home with his family

[@deependz3231]

Luck hiding out in the Alps as a ski bum, because he's afraid Irsay is gonna ask for some of that money back that Luck didn't earn?

[@someperson8151]

Tired of people blaming the GM for not building an offensive line when they were building an offensive line. Blame game is dumb. It is what it is. Andrew Luck never needed football. Football needed him.

[@syondlasithole1454]

Luck's story is right up there with the greatest what ifs of the NFL, when he retired it finally seemed like he got a great team around him.

[@karsontreece2734]

I enjoyed watching Luck when he was at Stanford and I started to cheer for the colts just because of Luck. Loved watching him play.

[@albongo3949]

This experience is happening everywhere, not allowing for family relationships to develop cause the talent gets squeezed for every drop. I wish we could just live and enjoy the world

[@sputnikalgrim]

Reading that article was illuminating. You get a sense of how mentally exhausting that life can be. The strength he had to do what he did and to come out the other end knowing he did the right thing… nothing but respect for him.

[@LK-bz9sk]

Agreed. As a frame of reference to his mind space, not until he turned pro did he have anything more than a cheap flip phone. Could have cared less about all the apps and bs. Said he rather make the time to hangout with friends at coffee than on facebook. Says a lot about a young man. Also people forget, one of his injuries was a lacerated kidney. That probably gave him pause too.

[@danielmunguia8341]

Honestly I’m jealous that he put his health and family ahead of generational money and the chance of setting an all time legacy in one of the greatest league of all sports. A responsible and selfless man.

[@Hallmighty]

Something tells me Andrew and his family are going to be just fine.

[@danielmunguia8341]

@@Hallmighty yeah definitely

[@Thisguy2532]

Of course there gonna be fine he still has millions , and is smart so I don’t see him running out of money, he’s a smart guy and definitely knew what he was gonna do before he retired early.

[@adamwilliamson6881]

I’ve been a Colts Fan forever…. Through the ups and down I’ve always stayed true to the blue. I thought after losing Peyton there’s no way in Hell we’ll ever find someone at least half as good as him. Then I saw Andrew and boy I was never so excited to watch football I’m so many years. My goodness he was such a breath of fresh air to my football life. I knew with him we’d win at least 3 SuperBowls easily. Then that day came and I swear I’ve never cried about a athlete until that very day. The First Jersey I ever owned was his.

[@deependz3231]

Luck hiding out in the Alps as a ski bum, because he's afraid Irsay is gonna ask for some of that money back that Luck didn't earn?

[@senor-yak3222]

@@deependz3231they were going to end up getting him killed

[@johntyler2127]

Andrew Luck was a great QB and man. Luck was on a bad Colts team that the front office ruined his career by poor draft picks advanced him a player. Andrew found peace in his life. God Blessed Luck and his family. Thanks gentlemen for the daily show that makes my work more enjoyable.. Blessings and Merry Christmas to you all.

[@kennethsmith8788]

Pat hit it on the head. For a job that demands so much out of a person that the person literally shapes their identity around it, to contemplate leaving, especially in what seems to be, finally, a successful career, is practically unthinkable. I think, with all the issues surrounding him in his career, both on the field and at home, he was faced with a similar choice as Brady’s, except I think the clock ran out much sooner for him than it did for Brady. Luck, probably being as introspective as he is, found himself weighing the pros and cons of continuing his football career. The problem being each choice comes with a tremendous sacrifice: the decision to leave football, which requires giving up untold fame, fortune, and a good part of his identity as a football player; and the decision to remain in the league, which requires sacrifice not only of him, but of his family as well, both in time and commitment, something of which they know they can’t necessarily get back. What’s the right decision? IS there a “right” decision? Ultimately I think we can agree Luck made the best decision for himself and his family in the long run, and, unlike many players, he had ready options to still pursue a lucrative career that didn’t require the same kind of sacrifice to his personal and home life. But even so, it doesn’t mean he won’t wonder from time to time what could have been.

[@Zilzalag]

Id say the amount of hits he was taking led to the clock running out. His wife was likely concerned for his health in 20, 30 years.

[@brennangoldman6661]

In the excerpt they read he says he doesn't know or will ever know if he made the right choice, but that he made his choice and is happy living life past football

[@joshsnuffer1081]

Andrew Luck made the AFC championship in his 3rd season. His rookie year (when pagano got leukemia) ended in the wild card vs the Super Bowl ravens

[@wendychallenge4725]

I thought the same thing

[@coreilly796]

Thanks you! Pat McAfee talks shite without even thinking about the facts.

[@dro99]

@@coreilly796 I Think Pat was just trying to say that Luck was a winner and he had potential to reach a superbowl

[@coreilly796]

@@dro99 he probably was but he should have used the correct details of the story.

[@ksimon6485]

@@coreilly796 Talking from the top of your head every day for hours… give the man a break.

[@dougrobinson8469]

I'm a Washington Huskies fan (and grad), and my dad and I made the drive from Seattle to Palo Alto EVERY chance we had to go watch Andrew Luck play during his Stanford career. I haven't been as blown away by a college QB ever (though Michael Penix Jr. might be even more of a joy to watch).

[@johnwhite2576]

Oh please not even close. When you think of the scariest qbs ever, lucks intelligence tops Elways, his size tops many other qbs, etc. name any other college qb you would less like;y want to face than luck? Even Robert Griffen not as scary.

[@dougrobinson8469]

@@johnwhite2576 To clarify, Penix is more of a joy to watch because he throws it a lot more and plays for my team, but I think I gave Luck his due.

[@ToiletDestroyerr]

Got this playing in the car speakers and at 10:59 Pat makes it sound like i got a message lmao

[@davidsheehan9989]

I consider myself fortunate to have watched him play in person. Much bigger and stronger than he appeared on TV. He was amazing. Delighted he left on his terms. Few have the wisdom and courage to do so. We were treated to greatness.

[@Psychoma99]

Same man. I watched Luck tear up my Cowboys at Lucas Oil in 2018. They got shut out lmao

[@davidsheehan9989]

@Matthew Guerra Yeah, Andrew Luck was a man amongst boys. Imagine if he was on a good team.

[@romanvyskovsky3630]

6:43 hell yeah Conor 🇨🇿 I see you're a Bruins fan. Zacha, Pastrňák, Krejčí. You've got a bunch of fans over here. I'm glad you know about our little country the size of California. However, Andrew's wife was a great gymnast.

[@Matt-cr4vv]

That 2012 NFL Draft with Luck and RG3 will always be such a wild what if for years to come. Both were so heralded leading to the draft, obviously nobody more than Luck. And then both of them played right away and turned their teams around. Luck struggled a bit more that first year but then had the amazing playoffs. RG3 tore it up thag first year. Luck obviously turned out to be more successful and will be the biggest what if considering he left the game young and on top. But RG3 is always a big what if for me too. He tore it up right away but then had the injury issues and disagreements with his coach. He got scared to play the way he had been that was succeeding and didn’t return to thag form. And further injuries obviously ended his career as a starter. But I’ll always wonder if he hadn’t had the injury issue, and not changed his playing style, would he have been good for some more years to come? Kinda wild they both guys played well in the league but neither turned out to be what was hoped because injuries took it from us. Luck more so since he had clearly shown he was a top QB of the league.

[@TentativeGuise]

17:30 as someone who's father thought "there's plenty of time to be that" as well, no. There actually isn't. You'll never get back what you miss in your kids life, and they won't forget it, none of my brothers have. Andrew made the right choice.

[@imanoldurango8213]

I could never talk bad about my parents like everyone is in the comments regardless of how absent they were.

[@sir4947]

Absolutely, these guys are idiots and prob don't have kids or don't care.

[@chris-gx7rs]

No his wife forced him work comes before wife and kids

[@amkalaska]

I am glad that I was able to see Luck live once. It was only a preseason game in Seattle but I was close enough to see him clearly. I will never forget that.

[@Wutangk1lla]

I haven't missed a Colts game in 20+ years 💙 I miss watching Andrew play and lead the team 😔 He was the complete package, on and off the field.

[@martinperriman3018]

What’s that about his package?

[@xkhours]

Growing up as a colts fan I never thought it’d ever be the same after Peyton left .. then we got blessed with Luck hate to see how it all unfolded but glad he’s at peace

[@corycampbell4203]

A decision he will never regret. Being a husband and a dad. That is an incredible man!

[@jasongreer131]

After all, a man that doesn't take care of his own isn't much of a man at all.

[@MrMinionMoney]

Respect to Luck!

[@nonyabizz3533]

Yall aren't even real men. Soy boys

[@user-cz1ss6iy1b]

Stop the cap

[@paulbosco2540]

You just mad he chose his life rather than football and to entertain you…

[@Austin.Kilgore]

10:59 I feel like I may be easily impressed because I was incredibly impressed with that whistle from Pat lol It sounded like it was played of a soundboard/phone, not someone just naturally busted it out on a whim mid conversation

[@lloydh464]

Amazing QB. Enjoyed his Ameritrade commercials. " want a little Luck?" Handing out whiskers from his beard!

[@ma2zak589]

he didn't want to be Junior Seau. Seems pretty straight forward. He was getting LIT UP every single game. He had a bag, and his wife makes great money too. Congrats to Andrew for cashing in and knowing when enough is enough. I agree with Pat's take on him being too nice. Maybe Andrew knew that about himself and decided he needed to remove himself from that situation.

[@elliotth3201]

Chose a good relationship with his wife and kids over a football career. Sounds like he's a great guy and made the right decision

[@drock430]

His wife gave him an ultimatum

[@prof.michaelnetta6311]

Easy to do having earned tens of millions

[@Primetime9292]

@@prof.michaelnetta6311 Tom Brady has entered the chat

[@Fallout3131]

@@Primetime9292 TOM BRADY HAS ENTERED

[@nick51255]

@@drock430did you read the article or are you going off what these guys said? There was no ultimatum.

[@baltazar420cro]

I became a Colts fan because of great QBs in b2b decades, Peyton and Luck. Still can't get over it how horrible we have been after these 2 left the building.

[@grantv2313]

Get used to it. Look at the Bears. More common than not.

[@phonechecked]

Owner is a shitshow

[@jonbarron8049]

@@grantv2313 the bears haven’t been good since 85 lol

[@mintbaby4749]

@@jonbarron8049 idk we did beat them in a superbowl so since 2005 they've been bad

[@Psychoma99]

@Jon Barron Haven't had a QB since Sid Luckman

[@GoingMarco]

I love the conclusion they made at the end lol better left unsaid

[@camillesmith-ballon3331]

Loved watching Luck play at Stanford! Now, he’s back at the Farm in graduate school and coaching at Palo Alto High💕

[@reidro31]

As a chiefs fan that cursed at even the mention of Luck’s name after the 2013 Wildcard game, it was heartbreaking when he retired. You can tell that his spirit was broken, that he didn’t want to leave, but he had to. Andrew Luck is definitely my biggest What If in NFL history. Dude had everything you could want from a QB, but years of him being neglected by Pagano and Grigson finally took their toll

[@user-d25c42f4]

Congratulations you were selected amongst the shortlisted winners 🏆 for the ongoing【T-Shirt/Tumbler】MacBook-M2/PC/Ps5 giveaway 🏆dm above☝️

[@boxxboyy3879]

To this day, I blame Pagano and Grigson for his direct downfall.

[@AbyssWatchersPod]

I say Barry sanders still but yeah about the same.

[@sonny2463]

Biggest what if? What if what? He continued to be a top tier qb for the next 9 years while not winning in playoffs as the first 9 years?

[@aceassn716]

Vincent BO Jackson Is still my biggest what if in all of sports

[@fadedidentity]

I’m not even a big college football guy, but Andrew Luck was my favorite college player and Stanford was my favorite college football team. and as a kid in high school at the time, I wanted to go to Stanford because of him. his monster throwing ability, coupled with the fact that he could absolutely lay defenders out and would seek contact and win 99% of the time made my jaw drop and I loved every second of it. even though I’m a Chargers fan, I rooted for the Colts all the time when my team sucked and missed the playoffs and Andrew Luck was taking his team to the playoffs and an AFC Championship. as a fan, of course I was disappointed watching Luck retire right before the season started. but in hindsight - given all of his injuries, the surgeries and rehab he had to go through, the time he sacrificed with his family to be a great athlete - I totally understand why it wasn’t worth it for him anymore. and I have tremendous respect for him coming to that very difficult decision and putting his family and his health over football

[@bolski6125]

He definitely is. The season before he retired, my daughter (who was still in college at Butler) was eating dinner with her boyfriend. She saw Andrew and texted me and was too scared to approach him. I told her if he looked like he was with other people and she said he wasn't. She did say people were approaching him all night and he talked to every single one of them with a huge smile. Finally, she just went to say "hi" to him and he talked with them for awhile, had them sit with him, and he even took a selfie of them with her iPhone. I was jealous! lol! She said he was the nicest guy. They didn't stay long because they want to let him eat his food. So I can definitely see how Pat said he was too nice of a guy. But then, nothing wrong with that. As a Colts fan, I was never angry at him for retiring like he did. I understood how he felt and it is his life he has to consider. So good for him but I can also see where he's the type of guy who will probably remain conflicted as to the decision he made. But it does sound like he's in a good place in his life and that's all I want for him.

[@pep0222]

First time watching. Great show!!! Great group of guys!!!

[@cmd31220]

What I got from the Wickersham article is that Andrew Luck just wanted to be a regular family man and NFL Football just kept him from being able to do that, but he loved it too much to throw it away until he finally did. And I think he never talked about it until now is because he knew that the decision was so difficult that if he talked about it publicly, people would be able to talk him out of it

[@K.C.C.L]

Nobody would respect that as a reason to leave football.

[@MS-ht9it]

He's a bright dude and upon realizing that the idea of valuing fans' romantic ideas of what his football career is and should be over his own well being was foolish, he chose wisely.

[@MS-ht9it]

@@K.C.C.L And this is why you don't care whether or not a random fool respects your decisions. Our drooling masses and reasoning don't get along well.

[@JimDandy69]

He really just wanted to make eggs and watch his ol lady's Daytime NBC shows. (And ski of course duh)

[@chriswilliamson806]

Sounds like he was conflicted. He sounds like he was unsure on his choices, but went through what was expected of him.. Glad he's getting his life where he wants it to be..

[@Auto209]

Complete opposite of expectations. At least from the public.

[@Michael-tc1dm]

Sounds like he came from money and didn't need football or love it.

[@TriMaui09]

My favorite player from Stanford and I became a Colts fan because of him. I have his jersey and autographed Colts helmet… I keep hoping that he’ll return one day…

[@williamarchie]

Much respect for Luck I love his durability and competitive spirit I watched the colts because he was a beast. Hard to play for a organization where the owner is a ass and never got the man any protection beat his body to peices he is one of my all time favorites wish the best for you and family Andrew luck is a amazing person.

[@AleisterMeowley]

Honestly, look at how cool those QBs were 10 or so years ago. Rodgers, Wilson, Luck, Brady, both Mannings, Newton, Brees, Kap and RG3, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some. Great time for QB play in the NFL

[@chelseanewman9975]

His twitter civil war page was hilarious

[@AleisterMeowley]

So damn good

[@chelseanewman9975]

@@AleisterMeowley Fitzpatrick had a pretty good one but nothing beats lucks

[@MarcusGalvan]

That article took me so long to read lmao I didn't realize how long it was till I looked at the clock. Very good story.

[@ednovy4925]

Excellent take on this Pat & Crew! Nothing but respect for Andrew, not only for his football greatness but as a man, making that difficult decision to walk away so that he could be there for his wife & future family AND that he'll be healthier for it years from now. It could not have been easy. Great that he's happy and living his life on his terms with his family

[@Nkaydisc]

Pat love your show man good stuff -- Thanks for being awesome and keeping it real

[@Nkaydisc]

is this real? this is not the official pat mcafee youtube

[@14thCenturyHare]

Andrew Luck made the absolute right choice, and I hope the openness and honesty behind, health, mental health, family, etc. brings discussions to other professions as well.

[@stevenevins6495]

Been a fan since they arrived in Indy thanks to my Dad (R.I.P.) introducing me to football. It has been a tough organization to stay a fan of honestly. Luck rarely had a good enough o line to give him a chance. I will always blame Grigson for destroying Andrew Luck. I always believed Luck was in his head and was mentally exhausted. "Hearing footsteps." Now, I think that assessment was accurate. Luck could have been great. This recent team has some serious underlying toxicity. Maybe Irsay should step away and focus on his collections. Go Colts! Miss seeing Boomstick in the White and blue! Great show y'all!

[@billfisher304]

Love the CHANNEL 4 ACTION NEWS water bottle.... Sally Wiggins Army for LIFE!!!! HAHA

[@mitchellhawkes9422]

I miss him. He was a must watch.

[@Burt_Sampson]

Not really

[@shrillexx4119]

@@Burt_Sampson definitely was, 171 TDs and 287 YPG in 86 games behind a bad OL is incredible. 4 pro bowls in 5 healthy seasons

[@mitchellhawkes9422]

@Burt Sampson such a hater response. Clueless even.

[@mitchellhawkes9422]

@@shrillexx4119 not to mention all those epic comeback wins. 😎

[@Burt_Sampson]

@@mitchellhawkes9422 he was ass

[@scruffd0g193]

As a football fan, I just miss Andrew Luck. He was such a great player on some really bad Colts teams.

[@brettwheeler7753]

Should have win the Heisman and ROY, but college and NFL wokeness had just started. He was better than Scam Newton and RG3!

[@sevegarza]

I saw Andrew in person when he played against Oregon State his senior year. I can confirm that he is a really big strong guy. I had seen a lot of pictures and video of him at the time becase he was a heisman frontrunner at that point, but man he looks much bigger in person.

[@rygoody317]

Can I come and check out the new studio Pat?? I actually was there before you guys moved in and was one of the people who helped your dad get rid of all the chairs that were there.. 🤣 🤣

[@zsean6788]

I really hope someday he does re unite with the Colts (not as a player or as a career). I think the fan base would love to hear from him again and would just love to see him speak, not even about his choices. Just to show up and get some love some day, he may not want to and that is ok, but as a bears fan I have a ton of respect for him. I would love for him to get a standing ovation atleast one more time.

[@davidfaxon3336]

If you really read the article he wants to coach. But said he won't until he gets a graduate degree. He has some self esteem issues. His wife has a higher education, and it's taking a toll on him. Once he gets the degree which Stanford has accept him for he will coach. It sounds like he wants to coach the Colts. He said it hit him while listening to a Colts walk through one day when his daughter was either at a practice or game

[@zsean6788]

@@davidfaxon3336 His wife.. seems pretty toxic lowkey too but who knows

[@estevanclementi230]

I'm a niners fan. And, on top of that, I'm a fan of anyone who makes Bay Area sports better. Luck and Harbaugh killed it at Stanford. If you take a time machine, there was a point in time when Andrew was expected to follow the lead and come home to SF but obviously we know what happened. To this day I support both Jim and Andrew in life, because at one point they both laid it all out on the line to make Bay Area sports relevant again. And I thank both of them. And love watching highlights.

[@FupaDoncic]

Went to school with Stepfan Taylor. That was a great time for Stanford

[@uncreative5766]

I was in high school when Luck was at Stanford. Jim Harbaugh revived Stanford and Andrew Luck was his focal point. I genuinely believe that if Luck had chosen Alabama, LSU, and those SEC schools, he could've won a national championship. He was the coup that propelled Stanford back to national prominence and gave Harbaugh a chance to coach in the NFL. It was a magical time to be in the Bay Area during that time. Between the Giants, 49ers, and the Dubs being a few years from their rings, the late 2000s and 2010s was an amazing time to be there, and I say that as someone who grew up rooting for Cal.

[@springerbrady]

It’s kinda the perfect story in a sense. Dude had all the potential to be the best ever. Left it all on the table to pursue his family & a quiet, humble life.

[@matthewtemple3417]

One of the saddest days of my love for sports and being a life long bleed blue 💙 colts fan A. Luck retiring was a shock and my heart dropped to my toes one of my favorite players of all time and knowing from that point on the colts was done and we have struggled every since that day... But I'm I'm not mad at him for choosing his family and his health over football... That being said the colts did not put a line around Luck to keep him from getting sacked nore did they respect him on healing from injuries I think they pushed him to come back and not just the colts but alot of the colts fans was impatient as well I think a lot of things should have been different but you reek what you sow #12 all time legend and I was privileged to watch him play the game of football giving 110% every snap for every game he played... coltsnation317

[@mixstamike]

I honestly believe people loved Andrew Luck so much not because of his talent or success but because he was last new person of an old football Era. What I mean is people like Luck, Ray Lewis, Urlacher etc... made football more exciting to watch because of their passion and leadership. Even when any of their seasons were sinking they could rally their team to make a run. Obviously there's still people today who are leaders or love the sport but I don't feel the same kind of energy I did with Luck or Lewis js. Those men were loved an respected regardless of any games outcome. Now it's more on the lines of for example... If mahomes plays amazing he's high energy and everyone loves him. But second he starts doing bad that energy is gone and everyone throws him under the bus is my point.

[@p00lboy]

as a colts fan i can say i hope he is happy ... i recently saw a pick of him and from his body he does NOT miss the gym but his smile was brighter than it ever was before and he sure looked happy

[@deependz3231]

Luck hiding out in the Alps as a ski bum, because he's afraid Irsay is gonna ask for some of that money back that Luck didn't earn? You'd also look happy if you received $millions you didn't earn.

[@socrazybmx]

Anyone else find it hilarious to watch Zito's face in Ty's reflection when Ty is being animated? I'm dying over here

[@tylerfisher9971]

🤣🤣🤣 Pat and the reading comprehension bit

[@attemptityourself5662]

Lemme break it down Barney style Pat. Much like Dr Strange...he pondered all possible futures and the only one he saw himself living life in a way he could assure he would be there fully for his family making/keeping commitments to those he loved was one where he hung up his pads. So he did. Good on him.

[@LuigiL75]

EXACTLY

[@Nunya310]

Miss him. Wish he didn’t retire…wish we took better care of him.

[@2Greenlid]

Disagree with you , glad he retired because life is bigger than sports!

[@Nunya310]

@@2Greenlid definitely agree with that. Life is bigger than sports…

[@ThomBrew]

Pat's point about Luck being too nice is so on point and happens right across society. The call is for men to be like a a nice guy like Andrew, but if you are it just chews you up. Happy for Andrew that he's able to step back and change his circumstance and is enjoying life and wish him the best. Only wish that option was avaliable for so many others!

[@jarredquinlan187]

Man I love Pat

[@djnasa3nassir775]

I’m a patriots fan and I miss Luck as a competitor he was a true leader on and off the field

[@alexdowdle4628]

After spending 45 minutes on the article, I want to add a few things to further clarify for the show. 1. The article definitely made it seem like he had completely fallen out of love with the game when he left. The author said that the only football-related things he had in his home were almost entirely from his days at Stanford. 2. I could be wrong on this, but I don’t remember there being so much a formal ultimatum given by his wife as it was she was prepared to leave him if he would not let her in to help. As the guys talked about she was very accomplished in her own right, and she had more than her fair share of injuries, so she felt like she should be able to help him. But as he’s always been, he’s never let himself be vulnerable, he’s always said he’s okay when he’s not, and it was clear to her that he was just putting up a stone wall around himself because he wanted to appear strong as a defense mechanism. This was eating at their relationship and she kept pushing him to open up to her, and he finally did and it seems like it saved their relationship. This did not immediately lead to him retiring, this was when he went to holland for physical therapy. He also first started talking to a therapist immediately after this. Sorry for the length, but I hope this helps clarify a few things. Ty and Conner did a great job covering the article, but it’s hard to get everything with an article of that size when you’ve got so many other things to cover. Love the show!

[@outlive001]

Appreciate the clarification about that. I was left thinking she was the bad guy after hearing what they said. Now I see/understand why he made his decision. Good luck to them and there family.

[@mikeymendez7060]

Andrew Luck was so great for us. I'll never forget that chiefs playoff game that comeback was insane.

[@vigusdna3760]

Brady is like Thank God tht Andrew Luck didn’t do this until the divorce was started lol cuz she woulda been like see … Andrew loves his family Tom lol

[@mikeymendez7060]

@@vigusdna3760 he probably still is gonna get that line the next time the kids are getting picked up

[@mikerawls9619]

Just want to thank Andrew for the time he shared with us. Good Luck!

[@TheRasiani]

This might have been the most accidentally hilarious podcast I've seen in awhile -- Idk if its schtik, or what, but I've never seen any host so completely transparent about his intellectual limitations 😅 But gawd love Pat Macafee & crew for focusing on all the right things, and after a few good laughs, a rather informative set of insights from the collective. That was 20 minutes well spent. Thanks, guys