I’m going to defend the fans at the game a bit.

The news breaks suddenly in the middle of the game. They are all there. I’ve been at Sox games (the Todd Frazier trade night) where stuff breaks, it is an actual game of telephone. Service sucks, and you are getting rumors left and right.

Im glad luck is doing what’s right for him and his family, but I don’t blame a fan who may have thought he just made this announcement casually in the middle of a game and didn’t understand the sequence or cause behind it. 

11 hours ago, SoxAce said:

They showed a fan taking off his jersey. I wouldn't be shocked if there's video of fans burning his jersey soon (they should be blaming Grigson).

This fan is a dolt. Luck has made a tough decision, and I don't think he has to justify it to anyone. If he truly feels his time is done, I have no problem with that. Fans will be disappointed at that, but they are not playing in the NFL and getting their brains knocked around.

4 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

No he means trading 2 1st round picks for a below average QB. 

Wow, that would be a pretty horrendous take then. I would imagine the Colts would immediately give up 2 first rounders for a 25 year old QB that came off a pro bowl year where he finished first in the AFC in completions, yards, and third in touchdowns.

Now if you took away all the Colts talent on offense (lets say made his WRs Devin Hester and Earl Bennett, made their OL old and bad, and made them have terrible offensive coaches) then yes, they shouldn't trade for a "Jay Cutler".

The Colts are stacked. They'd 100% try to get a 25 year old Jay Cutler and it would be smart. Unfortunately for them, there are no first time head coaches out there that are that stupid enough to give up someone like Cutler for the opportunity to draft Tim Tebow.

Edited August 25, 20196 yr by Boogua

6 hours ago, NWINFan said:

This fan is a dolt. Luck has made a tough decision, and I don't think he has to justify it to anyone. If he truly feels his time is done, I have no problem with that. Fans will be disappointed at that, but they are not playing in the NFL and getting their brains knocked around.

 I always hate this analogy.   Athletes train for this it's not like they are off the street.  Let's not forget there is a team roster who was counting on him.   I wonder if reaction would be similar if Robert decided to quit baseball this season after getting hit on the head by a wild pitch.

2 hours ago, Boogua said:

Wow, that would be a pretty horrendous take then. I would imagine the Colts would immediately give up 2 first rounders for a 25 year old QB that came off a pro bowl year where he finished first in the AFC in completions, yards, and third in touchdowns.

Now if you took away all the Colts talent on offense (lets say made his WRs Devin Hester and Earl Bennett, made their OL old and bad, and made them have terrible offensive coaches) then yes, they shouldn't trade for a "Jay Cutler".

The Colts are stacked. They'd 100% try to get a 25 year old Jay Cutler and it would be smart. Unfortunately for them, there are no first time head coaches out there that are that stupid enough to give up someone like Cutler for the opportunity to draft Tim Tebow.

I guess I was never fooled that Jay Cutler was overrated.  Part of the problem was between the ears.  When an organization is willing to make a trade like that it's a red flag.  Getting an elite QB in the draft is all about timing.  You have to be really bad when a good crop comes out. This finally worked out for the Bears.

 Jay Cutler is like a Yolmer Sanchez.  

 I'm not a Bears fan and labeled it a stupid trade. 

8 hours ago, NWINFan said:

This fan is a dolt. Luck has made a tough decision, and I don't think he has to justify it to anyone. If he truly feels his time is done, I have no problem with that. Fans will be disappointed at that, but they are not playing in the NFL and getting their brains knocked around.

The fans and team have every right to be mad at him. He waited until the team has no opportunity to get another starting QB to retire. He screwed the team first the season. Not intentionally,  but he did.

Now that being said, if he is just tired of the pain and hurting, he has every right to hang it up. No one should question his right to do it, he just couldn't pick a worse time. It will just look worse in the media because he doesnt have a "career threatening" injury.

2 hours ago, kitekrazy said:

 I always hate this analogy.   Athletes train for this it's not like they are off the street.  Let's not forget there is a team roster who was counting on him.   I wonder if reaction would be similar if Robert decided to quit baseball this season after getting hit on the head by a wild pitch.

I don't think your analogy holds up. A one-time injury, unless it is something truly horrendous, doesn't force any major league player to retire. 

Yes, athletes train for their profession, but training only does so much. Football is the most brutal of all sports. I think its amazing they NFL players get through one game much less years and years of this stuff.

Luck's timing wasn't the best, and maybe his teammates feel let down. Or maybe they understand his decision. Whatever the case, other NFL players have made this decision. Some things aren't worth it. You have only one body and one life.

2 hours ago, NWINFan said:

I don't think your analogy holds up. A one-time injury, unless it is something truly horrendous, doesn't force any major league player to retire. 

Yes, athletes train for their profession, but training only does so much. Football is the most brutal of all sports. I think its amazing they NFL players get through one game much less years and years of this stuff.

Luck's timing wasn't the best, and maybe his teammates feel let down. Or maybe they understand his decision. Whatever the case, other NFL players have made this decision. Some things aren't worth it. You have only one body and one life.

I don't think your analogy holds up.

It's a job for him.  If any of us get tired of our job, we may decide to step away no matter if it's good timing for the company or not.  Emotions get the best of people but that is a bad look.

There are rumors that he told the Colts earlier this year of his intentions but they didn't want to lose out on so ticket sales for this upcoming season so they kept it under wraps.  This could line up and make sense seeing as they were supposedly turning down offers for Jacoby Brissett left and right back in April, their GM said he had to be "bowled over" to make a deal.  

Edited August 26, 20196 yr by Chi Town Sox

17 minutes ago, Chi Town Sox said:

It's a job for him.  If any of us get tired of our job, we may decide to step away no matter if it's good timing for the company or not.  Emotions get the best of people but that is a bad look.

There are rumors that he told the Colts earlier this year of his intentions but they didn't want to lose out on so ticket sales for this upcoming season so they kept it under wraps.  This could line up and make sense seeing as they were supposedly turning down offers for Jacoby Brissett left and right back in April, their GM said he had to be "bowled over" to make a deal.  

In your job you probably dont cost your co-workers who make a lot less money than you do sizable bonuses. The other players on the team especially the 35-53 players on the depth chart, who are sacrificing their bodies for a lot less money and who will play only a few years in the league, could really use that playoff bonus money. With him they probably make the playoffs, without him not a chance.

Again he has every right to do it but the timing really has a direct impact on many other people.

I wonder if Luck was planning on playing and then got some bad news about his ankle/calf, like he was going to need surgery and a long rehab and was like I'm not doing that again. 

Great player and fun to watch, it's a shame injuries derailed what was probably going to be a HOF career.  Colts should be embarrassed at how much they neglected that OL for years. 

 

23 minutes ago, GoSox05 said:

I wonder if Luck was planning on playing and then got some bad news about his ankle/calf, like he was going to need surgery and a long rehab and was like I'm not doing that again. 

Great player and fun to watch, it's a shame injuries derailed what was probably going to be a HOF career.  Colts should be embarrassed at how much they neglected that OL for years. 

  

I'm guessing the colts doctors botched something, and he didn't want to double back on it, because the colts aren't pursuing like 25 million dollars that they could recoup. 

18 hours ago, kitekrazy said:

I guess I was never fooled that Jay Cutler was overrated.  Part of the problem was between the ears.  When an organization is willing to make a trade like that it's a red flag.  Getting an elite QB in the draft is all about timing.  You have to be really bad when a good crop comes out. This finally worked out for the Bears.

 Jay Cutler is like a Yolmer Sanchez.  

 I'm not a Bears fan and labeled it a stupid trade. 

Comparing Cutler to Sanchez is nonsense.

Who would you rather have?

Player A:
3.1 INT %
7.1 Y/A
56.9 COM%
1.32:1 TD:INT

Player B:
3.3 INT %
7.1 Y/A
62.0 COM%
1.42:1 TD:INT

I think anyone would take player B. Player B is Jay Cutler. Player A is John Elway.

The issue was Cutler was really bad when he was bad. But in 2010, he was really good, and when he broke his thumb in 2011, the Bears offense was rolling and he was playing great. When Elway was bad, he was average. Those games don't stand out. The really awful ones do, especially when one of them has rings. Even Steve Young, who notoriously HATED Cutler, ranked the Bears #1 in his power rankings in 2011 because of Jay.

One of my biggest hot takes ever is that if he's healthy in 2010 and/or 2011, they win at least one Super Bowl.

Edited August 26, 20196 yr by soxfan49

1 minute ago, mqr said:

I'm guessing the colts doctors botched something, and he didn't want to double back on it, because the colts aren't pursuing like 25 million dollars that they could recoup. 

I think letting him keep that bonus money is more about keeping a good relationship with him in case two years from now he is healthy and gets the urge to return.

Cuts starting to leak out, I have to think the Bears will be monitoring for possible backup swing tackle 

2 minutes ago, soxfan49 said:

Comparing Cutler to Sanchez is nonsense.

Who would you rather have?

Player A:
3.1 INT %
7.1 Y/A
56.9 COM%
1.32:1 TD:INT

Player B:
3.3 INT %
7.1 Y/A
62.0 COM%
1.42:1 TD:INT

I think anyone would take player B. Player B is Jay Cutler. Player A is John Elway.

The issue was Cutler was really bad when he was bad. But in 2010, he was really good, and when he broke his thumb in 2011, the Bears offense was rolling and he was playing great. Even Steve Young, who notoriously HATED Cutler, ranked the Bears #1 in his power rankings because of Jay.

One of my biggest hot takes ever is that if he's healthy in 2010 and/or 2011, they win at least one Super Bowl.

You cannot compare playing in the 80's and 90's to someone playing in today's game.  Jay Cutler would have thrown 30 int a year if he played in the 80's. 

 

33 minutes ago, soxfan49 said:

Comparing Cutler to Sanchez is nonsense.

Who would you rather have?

Player A:
3.1 INT %
7.1 Y/A
56.9 COM%
1.32:1 TD:INT

Player B:
3.3 INT %
7.1 Y/A
62.0 COM%
1.42:1 TD:INT

I think anyone would take player B. Player B is Jay Cutler. Player A is John Elway.

The issue was Cutler was really bad when he was bad. But in 2010, he was really good, and when he broke his thumb in 2011, the Bears offense was rolling and he was playing great. When Elway was bad, he was average. Those games don't stand out. The really awful ones do, especially when one of them has rings. Even Steve Young, who notoriously HATED Cutler, ranked the Bears #1 in his power rankings in 2011 because of Jay.

One of my biggest hot takes ever is that if he's healthy in 2010 and/or 2011, they win at least one Super Bowl.

The entire franchise looks different if Jay doesn't break his thumb late in that San Diego team. That offense and team were just rolling.  Like rolling.  

 

 

12 hours ago, ptatc said:

In your job you probably dont cost your co-workers who make a lot less money than you do sizable bonuses. The other players on the team especially the 35-53 players on the depth chart, who are sacrificing their bodies for a lot less money and who will play only a few years in the league, could really use that playoff bonus money. With him they probably make the playoffs, without him not a chance.

Again he has every right to do it but the timing really has a direct impact on many other people.

Well, personally, I'm in sales.  If our top sales person that has a personal relationship with our biggest account leaves and that business tanks, she's going to cost me a nice company growth bonus.  As another said, he owes nothing to nobody.  

The Colts should have given him an offensive line years ago and we may not be witnessing this.  I'm sure we will get more news as time goes on, he wasn't even practicing so he may have been out for the year, anyways.

2 hours ago, Kyyle23 said:

 

 

From what it sounded like in talk before the season started, he made it sound like the one thing he didn't want to do was another unending rehab - not just rehab, but what happened with his shoulder was it was a rehab that failed, a rehab that failed, a surgery, and then what, another 1-2 surgeries? Stuff that dragged on and was unending, with no real answers. His ankle? A few months ago it was a minor ankle sprain, then it was a high ankle sprain, then he's out for week 1, then we really don't know how long he's out for....same setup.

2 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

From what it sounded like in talk before the season started, he made it sound like the one thing he didn't want to do was another unending rehab - not just rehab, but what happened with his shoulder was it was a rehab that failed, a rehab that failed, a surgery, and then what, another 1-2 surgeries? Stuff that dragged on and was unending, with no real answers. His ankle? A few months ago it was a minor ankle sprain, then it was a high ankle sprain, then he's out for week 1, then we really don't know how long he's out for....same setup.

Yea he pretty much said that exactly in his press conference.   He said he made a promise to himself after 2016 that he would never go down that constant rehab path again

Just now, Kyyle23 said:

Yea he pretty much said that exactly in his press conference.   He said he made a promise to himself after 2016 that he would never go down that constant rehab path again

And that's something he almost certainly shared with the team, probably even last year. 

3 hours ago, Tony said:

Simply put, he's owes nothing to anybody. 

Owes nothing, no. Did he screw over his teammates, yes.

24 minutes ago, ptatc said:

Owes nothing, no. Did he screw over his teammates, yes.

His teammates seem to be the most supportive though.

 

43 minutes ago, Jose Abreu said:

His teammates seem to be the most supportive though.

 

I'm sure they do in public. No one is going air that stuff out in public. And like I said it's not the starters or top 30 on the team that are really impacted, it's the 35-53 players on the depth chart.