Andrew Luck shocked the NFL world when he announced his retirement last August, just a few weeks shy of his 30th birthday.

The NFL had seen premature retirements before. Detroit Lions legends Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson both called a halt to their careers in the middle of their prime, and former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly hung up the cleats in January.

But Luck's retirement had a different sort of gravitas. He was calling it quits just one year after a triumphant return from a 2017 season lost to injuries. Luck was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and helped lead a young Indianapolis Colts team to the AFC Divisional round.

The Colts looked to be on the rise, and Luck seemed destined to get them to the top. Instead, he listened to his body after a career filled with devastating injuries.

Some–including Colts owner Jim Irsay–have left the door open for Luck's possible return. As for Colts head coach Frank Reich? He does not believe Luck will play again (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk):

“He’s a friend. I talk to him, we communicate. I sense none of that. We don’t talk about that. I think he’s retired,” Reich said. “He’s like any other ex-player. You’re always going to miss your buddies in the locker room. That’s normal. I don’t read into that a clue that he wants to come back. He’s just a good friend.”

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Luck–who signed a six-year extension in 2016–still accounts for $6.4 million in dead cap on Indy's payroll this season.

The Colts also have some quarterback questions after Jacoby Brissett's mediocre 2019 campaign. While the front office has insisted the team will stick with Brissett under center, they probably would not mind Luck electing to play football again.

But according to Reich, that is an unrealistic expectation.