Andrew Luck stunned the NFL when he announced his shock retirement from professional football in 2019. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback was just 29 years old when he decided to call a seemingly premature end to his career, and walking away in the middle of his contract with the franchise.
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While Luck had dealt with his share of injuries, including a bizarre, lingering shoulder ailment, no one expected he was ready to announce the conclusion of his playing days.
Considering his age, Luck was in line for at least one more massive contract when his deal expired in 2021. Colts owner Jim Irsay suggested Luck left as much as $500 million on the table when he retired.
While all that money is nothing but fiction now, it does raise the question: how much money did Andrew Luck make in his NFL career?
Early Life and College Career
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Andrew Austen Luck was born in Washington, D.C., to parents Oliver Luck and Kathy Wilson. His father was briefly the commissioner for the XFL, was the Athletic Director and former quarterback at West Virginia University, and also played in the NFL for the Houston Oilers football team.
Andrew was the oldest of four children, including brother Addison and sisters Mary Ellen and Emily.
Luck spent some of his childhood abroad, living in London and Frankfurt while his father worked as general manager of two teams in the World League of American Football. While overseas, he attended the American School of London and Frankfurt International School.
Back in the United States, Luck was a high school All-American football player at Stratford High School in Texas. He was a heavily-recruited quarterback coming out of high school and ended up committing to play for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford University.
Across three years with the program, Luck finished runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in two separate seasons for the Cardinal, throwing for 82 touchdowns and just 22 interceptions in his collegiate career. He won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2010 and was named MVP of the Orange Bowl.
In 2011, Luck was the Maxwell Award winner and the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, cementing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in college football history.
NFL Career
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Luck's college football career made him the obvious choice to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and he was hastily grabbed by the Indianapolis Colts to replace Peyton Manning as the franchise cornerstone.
As a rookie, he threw for 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, leading a Colts team that finished 2-14 the previous year to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth in the AFC. Despite his strong season, both he and Russell Wilson finished behind Robert Griffin III in the Rookie of the Year voting.
The gunslinger made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years in the league, going 11-5 in all three seasons. He tossed a league-high 40 touchdowns in 2014 and threw for 4,761 passing yards.
Injury derailed his 2015 campaign, and he was sidelined by kidney and abdominal ailments which ended his season after just seven games.
In 2016, the Colts and Luck agreed on a massive contract extension which made him the highest-paid player in the league. Luck signed a six-year, $122.9 million deal with $87 million in guaranteed money and a $32 million signing bonus. He had a solid year in 2016 but announced after the season that he'd be undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder to correct an issue he'd been dealing with since 2015.
Initially, Luck was anticipated to be back in time for the regular season in 2017, however his timeline to return from his shoulder injury kept getting delayed. Midway into the season, with Jacoby Brissett acting as his replacement, the Colts ended Luck's season by placing him on IR.
Luck came back in 2018 and threw 39 touchdown passes while leading Indy to a 10-6 record, earning his fourth Pro Bowl nod and being named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Despite that award, Luck's comeback stalled there, as that would be his last season in the NFL.
Across his career, Luck played in eight playoff games but never made the Super Bowl. Luck and the Colts made the AFC Championship in 2014 but were demolished 45-7 by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
By retiring early, Luck forfeited the remaining $58.125 million on his contract, including his roster bonus of $6 million.
Personal Life
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Andrew Luck got married to former Stanford gymnast Nicole Pechanec in March 2019 at a private ceremony in Prague.
The two Stanford graduates met at school, where they both studied architectural engineering. Luck and Pechanec welcomed their daughter Lucy Luck in November 2019.
Andrew Luck Net Worth
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According to Celebrity Net Worth, Andrew Luck's net worth stands at an estimated $40 million. The 32-year-old had a fair share of endorsements, including sponsorship deals with Nike, BodyArmor, DIRECTV and Panini, per Forbes.
Luck signed two NFL contracts during his career. His rookie contract was a four-year deal worth $22 million, including a $14.5 million signing bonus. His second deal was worth $122 million, though he forfeited $58 million upon retiring.
What Andrew Luck's career lacked in longevity, it made up for in thrilling highlight reels and entertainment. The QB was known as one of the friendliest NFL players in the game, and fans across the country were crestfallen upon hearing the news of Luck's retirement.
Regardless of cutting his career short, Luck is absolutely loaded and loving life with his family in retirement.
