Andrew Luck abruptly retired four years ago, in late August. He will be eligible, as noted by the NFL Rookie Watch account on Twitter, after the 2023 season for the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
That’s fine. It’s accurate. He’ll be eligible for the Hall of Fame next year. Yes, he will.
But he ain’t getting in.
Luck was among the best quarterbacks in the league when he played. He was a four-time Pro Bowler.
But he only played six seasons, missing all of 2017 due to injury. He made it to the AFC Championship once. And while that justified an AFC Finalist banner at Lucas Oil Stadium, he didn’t do nearly enough to get a bronze bust in Canton.
He had great regular-season numbers during his six years, that’s true. (That said, his cumulative passer rating was only 89.5.) Without a Super Bowl win or two, he won’t overcome the limited duration of his career.
Terrell Davis did it; two championships helped. Gale Sayers did it; having uncannily rare talent helped. Luck chose to walk away on the front end of his prime. That’s his prerogative.
He could have had a career that would have put him among the all-time greats. He chose not to keep playing. Again, it’s his right. But that’s not how a guy without a single Super Bowl appearance in an era with plenty of great quarterbacks gets into the Hall of Fame.