Andrew Luck's Contract Situation is Straightforward

Andrew Luck is retiring from the NFL at age 29. It was a shocking piece of news, especially given the fact that he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL with a seemingly long career ahead of him. Well, not only is he leaving the NFL early, but he’s also leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table.

Luck signed a five-year, $122 million contract in 2016. He was set to earn a base salary of $9.125 million in 2019 and a roster bonus of $12 million. In 2020, he was set to earn $11 million in base salary with a roster bonus of $11 million as well. But while that all seems kinda straight forward (IE: he won’t make it), his roster situation isn’t as bad as it may seem.

When it comes to dead cap space, Luck will count $24 million against the cap this year, but then again, the Colts are seemingly screwed either way this year unless Jacoby Brissett becomes the next Tom Brady, so no big deal. Next year, Luck will only count $6.4 million against the spread, which really isn’t that big of a deal. After that, no dead money for the Colts, so no big deal.

The Colts could have recouped $24.8 million from Luck — $12.8 million as a prorated portion of his signing bonus and the $12 million roster bonus he was paid in March. But instead, the Colts reached a financial settlement with their former QB and won’t try and get that money back, according to ESPN.

How much has Andrew Luck made in his career?

Well, more than he’ll need the rest of his life. According to Spotrac, Luck has made slightly over $97 million since entering the league in 2012. Clearly, Luck wasn’t playing for the money, but rather the game, and at this point, it appears he’s proven enough too to make him never want to play again.