With The First Pick
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How Andrew Luck’s retirement impacts the 2020 NFL draft

By Bryan Perez

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts walks off the field after the Indianapolis Colts preseason game against the Chicago Bears after it was reported that he would be retiring at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts walks off the field after the Indianapolis Colts preseason game against the Chicago Bears after it was reported that he would be retiring at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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Andrew Luck announced his retirement from the NFL, which will create more drama and intrigue in the 2020 NFL draft quarterback market.

Jim Brown. Barry Sanders. Andrew Luck.

Luck joined Brown and Sanders as one of the most — if not the most — shocking retirements in the history of the NFL on Saturday night. At just 29 years old, the Indianapolis Colts signal-caller made the most unexpected audible in recent memory when he announced his decision to walk away from the game.

He cited injuries, and the process required to recover from them, as the reason. He lost the love for the game, and his decision to retire deserves nothing but respect from fans around the league, even if it’s hard to accept.

For Colts fans, the obvious question is what comes next?

Jacoby Brissett will inherit the starting job in 2019 and if he plays well, he could be the longterm answer at quarterback. But his resume to date suggests he’s more of a high-end backup, which means the 2020 NFL draft suddenly has another team in the quarterback market.

And if Brissett struggles to win games this fall, it could result in the Colts having a much higher first-round pick than anyone could’ve imagined.

Will Indianapolis be bad enough to end up with the No. 1 pick? I doubt it. They have enough talent to at least challenge for an 8-8 record, which usually results in mid-first-round selection. With Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) and Justin Herbert (Oregon) likely off the board in the top 10, the Colts could be staring at the likes of Jake Fromm (Georgia) or Jordan Love (Utah State) as options to replace Luck.

The reality is no prospect can really replace him. Lightning won’t strike like it did when the Colts finished with the worst record in 2011 and were able to replace Peyton Manning with Luck. They won’t land Tagovailoa or Herbert, but that doesn’t mean they won’t spend their 2020 first-rounder on a quarterback. They may not have a choice, depending on Brissett’s play.

The Dolphins, Bengals and now Colts all appear destined for first-round quarterbacks next April, which will make the NFL draft that much more exciting; for fans outside Indianapolis, at least.

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