Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck Becoming Next Philip Rivers?
Andrew Luck is on course to a Philip Rivers-like career with tons of adulation and accomplishments, but never coming close to a Super Bowl
Having a legitimate franchise-caliber quarterback can do a lot of things for an NFL team. It solidifies the most important position on the field, it can help win games and it certainly increases the likelihood of eventually reaching a championship. However, a franchise quarterback alone isn’t enough to win a championship, as we have seen time and time again in recent years.
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It took nine years with the Indianapolis Colts before quarterback Peyton Manning was able to secure a championship, primarily because the teams around him were not well-constructed. His situation is seen as similar to the one surrounding current Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Luck took Indianapolis to the postseason in each of his first three seasons. However, the roster around him has been in decline and has caused problems.
Indianapolis failed to protect Luck and injuries only allowed him to play seven games in 2015. Protection is still bad, the defense is almost nonexistent, and Indianapolis is sitting at 2-3 just one season later.
At this rate, Luck will be extremely fortunate to reach the Super Bowl by his ninth season. If the Colts do not change up their long-term plan, however, it’s more likely that Luck’s career will mirror that of San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.
“When you pay Andrew what we did, it’s going to take some time to build on the other side of the ball.” – Colts GM Ryan Grigson
When it comes to signal-caller role models, one could do a lot worse than Rivers. The North Carolina State product has passed for more than 42,000 yards, has scored 295 touchdowns, and has been named to five Pro Bowls.
Unfortunately, Rivers has only been to the playoffs as a starter five times in his career and has only reached the AFC title game once. At 34 years old and with the Chargers in the middle of another rebuild, it’s fair to wonder if Rivers will ever get any closer to that elusive Lombardi Trophy.
That is to say, it’s fair to wonder if Rivers can ever get any closer with the Chargers. Had Rivers somehow landed with the Houston Texans or the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, his chances would look a whole lot better. However, Rivers has made it clear that he wants to stay a Charger and that those who think he should demand his release or a trade are wrong.
“I feel awesome about it,” Rivers said about staying in San Diego, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. “I don’t feel awesome about being 1-4, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to be the quarterback here with the Spanos family, and the chance they gave me to lead an organization, lead a group.”
Saying he is happy to be a Charger and to lead the Chargers is the right thing for Rivers to say. His loyalty will be long remembered by the Chargers organization and its fans. Yet, that loyalty could also cost Rivers—who is under contract through 2019—a shot at playing for a championship while still in his prime.
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This doesn’t make Rivers any less of a player, but it does mean he may have to finish his career without ever grasping the greatest prize the game has to offer. This could easily be Luck’s fate if the Colts do not change the way they plan for the future. Luck is under contract through 2021, which means the soonest he is likely to hit free agency is after his 10th NFL season. Maybe he can find a new organization with which to compete then, but it’s fair to wonder if the Colts will be truly competitive before.
The Colts are not a well-constructed team. Luck is playing like an NFL MVP—1,472 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions—yet Indianapolis is still finding it hard to win. Indianapolis is rated just 22nd in pass blocking and dead last in overall defense by Pro Football Focus. The team is entirely too dependent on Luck playing at an otherworldly level, and it is the organization’s fault—even if some want to actually point the blame at Luck himself.
“We have a defense that is work in progress,” Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said Friday on Jay Mohr Sports (h/t Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star). “When you pay Andrew what we did, it’s going to take some time to build on the other side of the ball.”
Grigson may not be entirely wrong when he says that Luck’s contract impacts the makeup of the team, but Luck isn’t the one constructing it.
What happened to the defense last year, when Luck was playing on his rookie deal? Luck’s contract had no impact on the team Grigson sent out last year. Grigson is the one who gave Luck the contract this year.
Grigson is also the guy giving Vontae Davis more than $7 million in base salary to be Pro Football Focus’ 125th-ranked cornerback this year. Luck isn’t the only player with a sizable contract on Indianapolis’ roster and it’s Grigson’s job to figure out how to make all the financials work. It seems the Denver Broncos figured out how to build a defense while they were still paying Manning a boatload of money.
The bottom line is that the Colts are built to fail. What Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano are doing isn’t working. If things do not chance, the Colts are headed toward a rebuild and Luck will find himself the lone elite constant in a transitioning franchise. This is exactly where Rivers has found himself during the coaching switches to Norv Turner and Mike McCoy.
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What the Colts need to do is figure out a long-term plan that works and stick with it. If the franchise cannot find constructive consistency with the current regime it needs to move quickly to find a front office that can provide it.
Otherwise, Luck’s future is going to involve constant team turnover. Eventually, that might lead to a point where we look at Luck as an all-time talent who just never could win the big one. There’s a good chance this is how we end up viewing Rivers, which is a shame. The difference is that the Colts have time to get out in front of the situation and set Luck on a different path.