Indianapolis, IN
Andrew Luck makes long-awaited return to Indianapolis: 'It's my turn to give back'
The last time we saw him in this type of setting — cameras on, microphones hot — Andrew Luck had tape on his ankle and tears in his eyes. He was broken. We were stunned.
This time, almost five years removed, he wore a navy sportscoat and trendy glasses, belting out that hyuk-hyuk-hyuk laugh of his. He admitted how excited he was pulling into the Colts’ facility Friday afternoon, thinking back to where he used to park before practice. He bragged how proud he was that both of his daughters were born in Indianapolis, a city he still loves and feels connected to.
“This place is dope in May,” Luck said. “Nothing compares to the Indy 500.”
He admitted that he had to YouTube some of his old highlights before Friday’s 12th annual ChuckStrong gala in case anyone asked him about that magical 2012 season and what the Colts were able to accomplish — an unexpected playoff berth — while their first-year coach, Chuck Pagano, was stricken with leukemia in the hospital.
This felt like a long time coming, not solely for the city and the franchise that for years felt the reverberations from his stunning retirement, but for the quarterback himself.
The Colts spent the better part of five years trying — and mostly failing — to move on. So did he.
“For me to move forward in my life the way I want to,” Luck said that night, fighting back tears, “it didn’t involve football.”
Back in August 2019, he was battered and beaten-down. He once told me the game — and all the pressure and pain that had come his way — had left him “a sad miserable SOB.” So he walked away and entered the unknown, leaving so many questions unanswered and what-ifs lingering. He was 29 years old, clueless as to what the next phase of life would look like.
He’d joke with himself in the months that followed: “I can’t be retired at 30. That ain’t right.”
No, none of it felt right. And so much of it never made sense.
Finally, in front of the cameras in Indianapolis, he addressed it.
“Football gave me a lot,” Luck said. “Most importantly … the relationships and the experiences with people that I love, like Chuck. I think part of me feels — and I don’t mean this in a cheesy way — but part of me feels like it’s my turn to give back into this game. And this is what feels right at this moment.”
It took time, years to reconcile the way his football career ended, so abruptly, so unexpectedly, 14 days before he was supposed to start his eighth NFL season. “Tormented” is the word he used to describe his emotions back then.
He spilled his soul in a stunning news conference after a preseason game, his voice shaky, his fade red with emotion. Then he disappeared.
He went to Spain and learned to surf. He spent weeks skiing in Colorado. He became a stay-at-home dad. He cooked. He texted his old teammates on game days. He read a mountain of books.
All the while, he pondered what he was going to do with the rest of his life.
What that life looks like now: classes at Stanford, where he’s working on his master’s in education, and fall afternoons on the football field at Palo Alto High School, where he’s a volunteer quarterbacks coach. More than that, he’s a middle-aged dad to two daughters (Lucy is 4, Penelope is 20 months) who’s come to peace with the way his first career ended.
“I am a part of the fabric of the sports story in this city,” Luck admitted. “I certainly feel like Indianapolis is a massive part of the fabric of who I am, and where life has gone.
“I certainly feel the love from this city, and I hope people know it’s reciprocal.”
As he moved through the stages of his retirement, he said, the further he got from football, the more he wanted it back in his life.
“It’s just got to be different,” he decided.
The itch to play again never really entered his mind.
“I think when I retired, that part of it was put to bed, in a very simple, direct (way),” Luck said.
Thus, coaching. And reconnecting with the franchise he for so long seemed distant from — despite the fact that he and his family lived a few minutes from the team’s practice facility.
That Luck laid low early in retirement wasn’t an accident. He never yearned for attention, never really understood it. He wasn’t about to seek it out after his playing days were over.
“I do think we live in — and I think about this often — a world where it’s very easy to create your own visibility, in a sense,” he said. “And that’s just never been me. I don’t think that’s my personality. I’m OK with that. And I’m certainly not searching for attention in that way.”
Which is why this night was notable, with Luck choosing to speak to a handful of reporters before helping Pagano continue his fight against cancer (to date, the ChuckStrong gala has raised $14 million for cancer research). This wasn’t something that was going to happen in 2020 or 2021 or even 2022. Luck wasn’t ready.
Yes, he watches his old team, even though most of his old teammates are retired. He’s a fan of Christian McCaffrey (the Stanford connection) and Jonathan Taylor. He swung by a 49ers game this season, then stopped by the Amazon Prime TV set afterward, amazingly, dressed as Capt. Andrew Luck. He loves taking his daughters to Stanford games.
Anytime Penelope sees a football helmet, she says “Daddy.” That brings a smile to his face. “You’re right,” he’ll tell her.
The ride was riveting, the end gutting, his legacy complicated. Luck has come to acknowledge that, and furthermore, to accept it.
On Friday night, he looked and sounded like a man grateful for what he was a part of, and for the role football played in his life — even if his story never followed the script. Particularly the ending.
“We were not perfect,” he said. “I know I was not perfect. All of us wished we’d had multiple Super Bowls and done things and sort of vanquished some of those enemies that we didn’t quite ever get to.
“But I could probably speak for all the other guys, and I know I could speak for myself: it wasn’t perfect, but we tried our best. We tried our hardest, and I hope we gave folks something to cheer about and something to be proud of.”
(Photo: James Boyd / The Athletic)
The Indianapolis Colts kick off their three-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday following the conclusion of their voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) period, which wrapped late last week.
With the second wave of NFL free agency underway, where do the Colts stand in terms of positional spending for the 2026-27 season? Colts On SI breaks down their place amongst the rest of the league on offense, defense, and special teams.
After already covering the offensive side of the ball, this article will cover both the defense and special teams when it comes to positional spending compared to the rest of the league.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at how many resources the Colts are spending on its defense (and special teams unit).
Note: All numbers reflected are cap hits via Spotrac.
Defense – $132.34 million (No. 8 in the NFL)
The Indianapolis Colts are spending the 8th-most among all NFL teams on their defense for the upcoming season.
General manager Chris Ballard is going as all-in as possible for Lou Anarumo’s defense, and with the 7th-most cap space remaining ($31.9 million), he could continue strengthening the defensive roster by adding a proven veteran before the regular season arrives.
EDGE – $15.22 million, 4.93% of the cap (No. 26)
The Colts’s defensive end room is made up of players on rookie contracts who are expected to take the next step in Laiatu Latu and Jaylahn Tuimoloau, veteran rotational pieces in Arden Key and Michael Clemons, and rookies who have yet to step foot on an NFL field in Day 3 (rounds 4-7) picks George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry.
Still, the four non-rookies in question each have a 2026 cap numbers that sits in the 12-22 range as far as most expensive hits go. The Colts aren’t skipping out on adding a big-time contributor, but rather are betting on Latu to emerge into stardom.
General manager Chris Ballard could (and probably should) add another veteran edge defender to the mix before the regular season arrives, but as of now the Colts are prepared to move forward with their rotation as is.
Defensive Tackle – $47.64 million, 15.43% of the cap (No. 9)
The Colts’ defensive tackle room is as strong as its been in the Ballard era thanks to its new-look depth behind the star duo of DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.
The 32-year-old duo of Buckner and Stewart has held down the interior defensive line for the past several seasons, and now post two of the biggest cap hits on the roster. Buckner’s $26.6 million cap hit is the team’s biggest number, while Stewart’s $14.25 million hit is the 7th-most and is the last year of his current deal.
Meanwhile, fourth-year tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore has blossomed into a legitimate pass rusher, and newcomer Colby Wooden, whom the Colts got in return for longtime leader Zaire Franklin, is expected to be the best depth the aforementioned duo has had since they teamed up ahead of the 2020 season.
Linebacker – $15.90 million, 5.15% of the cap (No. 25)
As expected, the Colts are paying pennies for its linebacker room this season. This comes after a full-blown overhaul of the position room, a strategic effort that resulted in the Colts adding youth and speed to its front seven.
Second-round pick CJ Allen is expected to be Lou Anarumo’s green dot as a rookie, while veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither, third-year player Jaylon Carlies, and rookie Bryce Boettcher will battle it out for the WILL linebacker role.
Davis-Gaither’s $2.725 million cap hit is the highest number of the room, whereas Allen’s $1.659 million cap hit is second.
Cornerback – $41.72 million, 13.51% of the cap (No. 5)
General manager Chris Ballard traded the farm for superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner at the 2025 trade deadline to pair alongside Charvarius Ward Sr., and now the star-studded duo is poised to continue what they started in their two games together in 2025.
Like the duo of DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, Gardner and Ward both have Top 10 cap hits for the 2026 season. Ward’s cap hit is the third-most on the team at $19.89 million, a jump back to typical AAV after his first year with the Colts was just $9 million.
Gardner’s first full season with the Colts will operate simliarly to Ward’s, as his 9th-biggest cap number in 2026 ($9.5 million) will soon replicate his actual value when his cap numbers will more than double after this season. The Colts are able to employ such a star-studded duo thanks to this minor cap manipulation, and now they hope the pairing will take them the distance.
Safety – $27.76 million, 8.99% of the cap (No. 6)
The Colts let Nick Cross walk in free agency to replace him via an aggregate of players, but they’re still paying top dollar thanks to Cam Bynum’s presence in the defensive backfield.
Bynum’s $15 million cap hit for 2026 is the 6th-highest number on the roster, but the Colts are more than happy to pay a premium for the luxury that is him leading the charge from the backend.
Indianapolis is anticipating third-round pick safety A.J. Haulcy to ultimatley earn the opening at strong safety, but second-year defender Hunter Wohler and veteran safety Juanyeh Thomas won’t make it easy on him.
Special Teams – $6.73 million (No. 14 in the NFL)
Kicker – $2.57 million, 0.83% of the cap (No. 15)
Punter – $2.55 million, 0.83% of the cap (No. 10)
Long Snapper – $1.61 million, 0.52% of the cap (No. 10)
It’s impressive that the Colts are only paying the 15th-most at the kicker position, considering they’re currently rostering two placekickers, both of whom were near-perfect on field goal attempts during their respective runs with the team last season.
Spencer Shrader is expected to earn his job back after having his season ended early with a complete ACL/MCL tear, but Blake Grupe is just as determined to continue his upward trajectory with the team that gave him his most recent opportunity.
There’s not much else to be said about punter Rigoberto Sanchez and long snapper Luke Rhodes other than suggesting that they might even be underpaid relative to how much others across the league are making. I’d argue each is at least top five at their respective positions, so keeping them both around at the 10th-highest rate is a big win.
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The Indianapolis Colts wrap up their offseason program this week, conducting three days of mandatory minicamp before breaking for the summer.
While OTA sessions do not involve any tackling, we can still glean which players have performed well or have the upper hand in certain position battles once we get to training camp.
Here are three players who have benefited the most from Colts’ OTAs over the last couple of weeks.
QB Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones may only be six months removed from tearing his right Achilles, but that has not stopped the quarterback from getting back on the field.
Jones returned to 7-on-7 action last week with the Colts’ starting offense. In the one session open to the media, Jones went 5-of-6 passing with two touchdowns. It was an impressive showing in his first team period since the injury.
Head coach Shane Steichen spoke last week about Jones’ progress, indicating he is very pleased with where his QB1 currently stands in his rehab.
“I think it’s just making those strides each and every week and to get him out there in 7-on-7 was huge, and to get him in the fold, running plays with the guys,” Steichen said about Jones. “So, we’ll keep that trend going probably through the end of OTAs, and then obviously get them into team stuff when we get to training camp.”
While Jones will not participate in any 11-on-11 sessions until training camp, returning to team drills this early in his rehab is a massive win. The Colts are just over three months away from Week 1, and it seems very likely that Jones will be the starting quarterback against the Baltimore Ravens.
WR Ashton Dulin
Alec Pierce and Josh Downs are locked in as the Colts’ top two wide receivers for this season. However, the departure of Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers leaves an opening at WR3. So far, it’s been Ashton Dulin’s spot to lose.
Dulin has seen the majority of the snaps at that other outside receiver spot throughout OTAs. He’s also made plays when given the opportunity, catching both of Jones’ touchdowns in the aforementioned 7-on-7 period that included an acrobatic grab in the back of the end zone. Dulin is making the most of the opportunity, and coaches are noticing.
“Obviously, we’re in two weeks of practice right now, but Dulin’s made some good plays, Tread’s (Laquon Treadwell) made some good plays,” Steichen remarked. “Dulin had a great play today in the back of the end zone there. So, those guys are stepping up and I’m pleased with where that group’s at right now.”
Dulin has been a core special teamer and quality backup his entire career. 2026 may finally be the year he can prove he’s more than that.
RB Seth McGowan
With Jonathan Taylor not present for most of the voluntary OTA period due to family obligations, there have been opportunities for the other running backs to work with the starting unit. Rookie Seth McGowan is taking advantage of those reps.
McGowan has shown burst and power throughout the offseason program, leading to some big plays. Roundtable Sports’ Jake Arthur reported that McGowan has ripped off long, explosive runs each week of OTAs. The seventh-round pick is very decisive with his cuts and wastes very little time getting downhill.
A productive spring by McGowan has placed him right in the thick of the RB2 battle with former fifth-round pick DJ Giddens. The Colts would like to take some of the workload off of Taylor’s shoulders to keep him fresher throughout the season, meaning the competition between McGowan and Giddens will be one to watch throughout training camp.
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Saint Paul finished off its best series of the season by beating visiting Indianapolis 3-0 at CHS Field Sunday afternoon. The shutout improved the Saints to 34-28 in the regular season as the team sits 3 1/2 games off the International League lead, while the Indians fell to 25-38.
Five Saint Paul pitchers combined on the six-hitter, with Ty Langenberg earning the win with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit, three-strikeout relief of starter John Klein, who pitched the game’s first 2 2/3 frames. C.J. Culpepper closed out the contest by hurling a one-hit ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Second baseman Tanner Schobel’s RBI single in the fourth plated right fielder Gabriel Gonzalez to put the Saints up for good at 1-0. First baseman Aaron Sabato followed that up with a two-run single that drove home outfielders Luis Hernandez and Kyler Fedko that brought the count to its eventual 3-0 final.
St. Paul has a standard off-day on Monday before beginning a six-game series at Toledo (30-32) at 6:05 p.m. Tuesday.
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