Andrew Luck stays out of bounds.
Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted Sunday that any team reaching out to the former Indianapolis quarterback should expect to face a tampering violation. Irsay tweeted this after the espn report on saturday Washington Commanders “Called About Retiring Andrew Luck” quarterback pursuit during their 2022 offseason.
Luck unexpectedly retired in 2019 at the age of 29 with three years remaining on his contract. The Colts declined to attempt to recoup the signing bonus payments they could recover and instead allowed Luck to keep the full $24.8 million. He did this with an eye on a possible return to the NFL. If he does they still retain his contract rights.
Nothing indicates that Luck, now 33, is interested in returning to the NFL. But a desperate Commanders team clearly kicked the tires on the idea last season. This raises concerns of a tampering breach which Irse seems all set to pursue. Teams are not permitted to contact players who are under contract with other teams.
Molestation is an allegation that can have serious consequences. The NFL assigned a first-round draft pick and a third-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins and suspended owner Stephen Ross last fall after he determined to tamper with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
ESPN did not specify who the commanders “phoned” in their alleged Luck inquiry. Judging by Irsay's tweet, it was not a call to the Colts to request permission to speak with the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
The Colts have made several attempts to move on from the Luck era, with their biggest effort yet in the April draft, where they selected Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson at No. 4. Hope he does. But Irsay has no intention of allowing another team to test the waters.