If I have banked over $90 million and am nearing 30 you bet your ass I am contemplating retirement. Especially if I am playing for the Colts. Look at the stars who have retired early: Megatron, Willis, Sanders, Luck. All four of them played for horrible, clueless organizations that could only make it to the Super Bowl by mistake. There is a point when money isnt why you play anymore; if you dont believe in the organization who owns your rights, what is the point of getting your body killed 16 times a year for the next 5-6 years?
Like many, I say kudos to Luck for making this difficult decision. Smart.
Hard to believe the fans are booing this.
I do hope he does the right thing, though, and repays a portion of his signing bonus.
Surely he wouldn't feel entitled to keep the bonus if he had retired a week after signing the contract.
Or a month. Or a year.
Of course not.
Another way of looking at it: If management had known about this termination at the time of signing, would it have affected the amount given? Definitely.
So it's certainly fair for the team to ask for a pro-rated amount back when a player unexpectedly terminates a deal like this.
Heck, I could make a strong argument the whole signing bonus should go back, but a pro-rated amount at the very least.
The booing is not surprising. Teams want fans to buy in emotionally. Acting on emotions makes people do dumb things in the moment, even worse if you add alcohol.