Colts Owner Jim Irsay Can't Assess QB Situation Without Mentioning Andrew Luck
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts owner Jim Irsay flashed a mischievous grin at several junctures in an impromptu Sunday chat because he’s learned in 23 years of NFL ownership that anything uttered is fodder for media and fans.
In reference to how the Colts will approach the NFL Draft, in which they have three selections in the top 44 picks, he smiled and said of the routine to meet with general manager Chris Ballard, “Whatever Chris decides to do, he’ll come to me as decades have passed like Bill Polian used to come to me, we’ll put out some smoke signals that will intended to be misread and we’ll quietly make the pick and see what happens.”
The admission couldn’t have been more telling when he transitioned from that topic to the continual talking point of retired quarterback Andrew Luck. That Irsay didn’t need to be asked before bringing up a possible Luck return, like everything else, requires reading between the lines.
For the record, Irsay said there’s no new information on a Luck comeback. But the fact that he mentioned him says that door is always open and the Colts would welcome Luck back with open arms.
“Andrew is my friend,” Irsay said. “And I miss my friend. … I can’t comment on anything in terms of will he ever come back? Is he coming back this year? Is he coming back next year? I don’t know. I haven’t asked him.”
Irsay later alluded to how he has reminded Luck of leaving “$700 million on the table” when the four-time Pro Bowl passer unexpectedly retired in August due to chronic pain from injuries suffered in his seven-year career.
Irsay reminded with another admission of his roots as a broadcasting major at SMU and being a “writer at heart” who understands in today’s social media world of the need to be immediate and provocative. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to broach the subject — he knows everyone else will read everything possible into Luck.
That said, Irsay also repeated the company line of how Jacoby Brissett, who underwhelmed in his first season as a full-time starter, is the Colts’ starting quarterback. He reiterated a belief in Brissett, despite the Colts’ 7-9 season that saw the passer's effectiveness radically decline in the second half.
“I think Jacoby is on the rise and you’ve gotta give him time to develop,” the owner said. “All of a sudden Jacoby goes 7-9 and it’s like the world is falling apart. We had a lot of injuries. Special teams weren’t outstanding. The combination of those things and Jacoby being a starter for the first time is a lot to overcome.”
Interpret company lines as hope. And hopes don’t get it done in a bottom-line results business. Brissett’s 6.6 yards per pass completion tied for 31st among regular passers.
The Colts are a popular mention for spending free-agent dollars on a quarterback — perhaps reuniting Chargers passer Philip Rivers with Colts head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Siriani — because the team is second in salary cap space with $86.1 million available. Reich and Siriani were previously Chargers offensive assistants and utilize a playbook with which Rivers is familiar.
Pushing aside possible smoke screens about Luck or Brissett, Irsay gave a realistic take on the Colts’ quarterback situation.
“I would just say that all options are open,” Irsay said. “We’ve all challenged each other to keep the ancient enemy of rationalization out of the room and not let the (draft) board creep up just because someone on the board, there’s such a need there, and you start saying, ‘This scout said this.’ I know you have to keep that out of the room and be focused. We have to hold each other accountable, the three of us, and we do. It’s my responsibility in the end to ask the right questions. Frank and Chris are responsible for the answers.”
Ballard said in his season wrap-up news conference that the Colts won’t force the situation at quarterback, which suggests they won’t be in the market to draft one when they are on the clock with the 13th overall pick.
Irsay reminded that a good quarterback doesn’t have to be selected in the first round and mentioned how, when they took Luck No. 1 overall in 2012, the Colts were committed to selecting Russell Wilson in the fourth round but Seattle chose him a round earlier.
The hint that the Colts could draft a quarterback in the second or later rounds is perhaps more misdirection. But perhaps not.
What seemed clear this day is Irsay still hopes Luck returns at some point.
“I don’t think that you ever quite come to terms with that,” Irsay said of Luck’s retirement. “He’s a special guy, a special guy for your organization. At 29 years old, I told him, ‘Andrew, this is a free country and I respect your decision.’ I would never want to talk someone out of that because this game is played, it’s not a contact sport, it’s a collision sport.”
The owner later added, “I think in the end, honestly I mean this, the Colts I think will have an outstanding decade and I think Andrew will have an outstanding life. If those things meet, it’s very possible. But it’s also not possible.”
