The Indianapolis Colts have lost four straight games and were eliminated from the playoffs following their loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 15. With the Colts missing out on the postseason, it's interesting to wonder what would've happened had Andrew Lock not retired before the season began.
After a seemingly normal preseason game versus the Chicago Bears, Luck chose to announce the toughest decision of his NFL career. The Colts' franchise quarterback chose to walk away from the NFL after six seasons with the organization.
Over the years, injuries had begun to take a toll on Luck and he became tireless with the constant rehab process. Therefore, he made the decision that was best for himself and his family. That meant moving on from the NFL and the game he loves.
With Luck heading for retirement, Indianapolis was confident in Jacoby Brissett stepping into the starting quarterback role. As a result, many fans and media members lowered their expectations of what the Colts could do in 2019.
Soon after naming him the starter, the Colts signed Brissett to a two-year, $30 million extension. In his first seven starts, Brissett was proving the critics wrong by tossing 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
Above all, Indianapolis was 5-2 and was positioned perfectly to win the AFC South. Sadly, Brissett would suffer a knee injury in Week 9 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Since that injury, Brissett and the Colts haven't been the same well-balanced team that was winning games earlier in the season. Besides Brissett, the Colts have dealt with injuries to Marlon Mack, Devin Funchess, Parris Campbell, T.Y. Hilton, and Eric Ebron.
Would Luck have been able to salvage the Colts' season despite all of the injuries? First and foremost, Indianapolis would've never signed Brissett to a two-year extension had Luck remained with the team in 2019.
Secondly, the offense would've been called a bit differently by Frank Reich. With Brissett, the team is centered around running the ball and controlling the clock.
When Luck was under center, the Colts were never afraid to put the ball in the air 50 times. Even with a shortage of weapons, Luck would be able to pick apart defenses with his arm.
At the same time, it's tough to imagine that he would have more success in this offense than Brissett has. Injuries are part of the game of football and Indianapolis is seeing the worst of it.
Yes, it would've been exciting to see what Luck could've accomplished with this group of players. But as talented as Luck was, Indianapolis' season probably wouldn't have ended much different with him at the helm.
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