Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announces his retirement in a press conference after the game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
With Andrew Luck retirement, Teddy Bridgewater can relate to 'dark days'
METAIRIE, La. — Teddy Bridgewater came into the NFL two years after Andrew Luck, both quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Luck came into the league as a No. 1 overall selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. Bridgewater followed as the final pick in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014.
Since then, both passers experienced injuries severe enough to each miss a full season of play. On Saturday, Luck announced his retirement from playing football. He cited the constant mental fatigue that came with trying to recover from a constant cycle of injuries.
"You have those dark days," said Bridgewater, now readying for his second season with the New Orleans Saints. "Sometimes you're in that dark place you don't think you can get out of. Everyone's situation is different. Everyone's story is different."
Bridgewater missed the full 2016 season following a devastating knee injury in training camp. He returned in 2017 and played one game for the Vikings, before a 2018 trade to the New York Jets. Later that year, the Saints gave the Jets a third-round pick in exchange for Bridgewater.
Luck missed the entire 2017 season with a lingering shoulder injury. He also suffered broken ribs and a ruptured spleen during the 2016 season. Last season, he returned and won Comeback Player of the Year.
A lower calf strain kept Luck from practicing during this off-season and through training camp.
Word of Luck's retirement spread among Saints players during their preseason game Saturday against the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"It's tough to see," Bridgewater said. "I'm happy for him that he's able to walk away at peace. We know he's a great football player, a great human being. Whatever reasons that he had for hanging it up, you can't do anything but respect a guy like that. He's a guy that's carried himself at the top-notch level ever since he was in high school.
"I've been following him ever since he was in high school, at Stanford and at Indy. It's tough to see a great competitor like that hang it up but I respect the decision that he made. I wish him the best moving forward."
