One of the Greatest 'What If' Scenarios Belongs to Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have had quarterback issues since the retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019. However, dating back to when they drafted the Stanford product first overall in 2012, the only question came with the then-injured Peyton Manning.

The Hall of Famer and long-time Colts field general led the team to two Super Bowls, a victory in 2006, and finished his career with 14 Pro Bowls, seven First Team All-Pros, and five Most Valuable Player awards. Once the Colts decided to part ways with Manning, he was thought to be over the hill with a season-ending neck injury that required surgery in 2011.

That year, Manning sat out recovering, and the team fell apart to earn the first-overall selection, which they used on Luck. But Sports Illustrated brings up the question of Luck and Manning in the piece, highlighting each team's biggest 'what if?' since 2000.

Here's what Gilberto Manzano had to say regarding the situation.

"The Colts went with the safe choice of not passing on Andrew Luck instead of hoping Manning would make a speedy recovery from his neck injury. As it turned out, Manning still had a few prime years and operated an explosive offense in Denver," said Manzano. "But it’s unknown whether Indianapolis put much thought into having both quarterbacks on the roster. Maybe Luck doesn’t retire prematurely if he sat behind Manning for a few years. Luck partly retired because of all the hits he took in his career."

Manning dominated with the Denver Broncos and led the team to a pair of Super Bowls, winning the title in 2015 for his second career championship. Below are Manning's incredible statistics from his Denver tenure:

-58 games (45-12 record)

-1,443/2,170 passes completed

-17,112 passing yards

-140 touchdown passes/53 interceptions

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As for Luck, he started his career with three straight campaigns without a game missed, until he started sustaining injuries and eventually missed the entire 2017 season. Luck retired after getting to the 2018 playoffs and securing a win.

Below are Luck's metrics through a seven-year career, including a missed season (2017).

-86 games (53-33 record)

-2,000/3,290 completed passes

-23,671 passing yards

-171 touchdowns/83 interceptions

It's hard to say at this point, but Luck's abrupt retirement is one of the most heartbreaking moments in Colts history, bringing up so many questions of 'what if?' At this point, it's been almost six years since Luck hung up the cleats, with Anthony Richardson next up as the potential franchise quarterback.

Unlike Luck, Richardson's start to the NFL has been as shaky as possible. Last year, Richardson took massive steps in the wrong direction and looked farther behind than in his rookie season where he played only four games.

Can Richardson become the first franchise signal-caller to lift the team since Luck? It's all up in the air, but now Richardson must compete with Daniel Jones and win the starting position. Expect this quarterback duel to dominate not just Colts news but also the NFL sphere.

The Colts hope that Richardson can elevate to the level of Luck, but so far, it doesn't look good with how the former fourth-overall pick from Florida played in 2024. We'll see how Richardson handles this new quarterback competition and if he can beat out Jones to start in 2025 for Shane Steichen's offense.

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