NFL News 2016: Andrew Luck is League's Highest-Paid Superstar; Colts' Franchise QB is in 'Luck'
As his name suggests, Andrew Luck is in luck this year. The 27-year-old star quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts had a brilliant return Sunday, solidifying his place as the face of the franchise in an otherwise lackluster performance by his team.
The Colts lost to the Denver Lions in the final seconds despite Luck's impressive outing. The defeat should not slow down the rising talent, who had recently re-signed with the team after his rookie contract expired. His new deal, however, puts a lot of pressure on the young star.
Luck is set to earn up to $140 million in six years, the largest contract ever signed by any NFL player in history. With the team placing huge trust on him, Luck must be poised to keep up his surging comeback.
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Lucky draw
The Colts missed the playoffs last year, for the first time since they drafted Luck in 2012; but only because the quarterback missed nine games due to injury. Even after that setback, Colts owner Jim Irsay made it his top priority to keep their saving grace intact at Indianapolis.
Luck had proven himself to be an elite-class player, with experts praising his intelligence, athleticism, clutch mentality and competitiveness on the field. As the next big thing in the NFL, and with his rookie contract winding down, the Colts could not just let him try free agency.
He is an all-around player who averaged 4,913 yards passing per season for his first three years in the NFL, and recorded the league-best 40 touchdown passes in 2014. He could also be the heir to one of football's greatest players and former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Experts said he has the same awareness and analytic abilities that Manning possessed.
Still not the richest
Luck still has a lot to prove in the league, and a lot of bucks to earn before cracking any "wealthiest athletes" list. The highest-paid NFL player this year only had a $20 million net worth in 2015, earning around $17 million from his rookie contract.
He also signed endorsement contracts only recently, looking to boost lesser-known brands such as Klipsch and Bodyarmor. He had famously turned down Gatorade for the latter deal, forsaking the brand most of his colleagues chose, but he was also shown in a Nike ad.
Nevertheless, Luck is poised to lead the league not only in terms of riches, but also in terms of play. That is, if he is truly worth the gargantuan deal. For now, he is yet to flash his $23.3-million value—his preferred gadget is still the old-school flip-phone.
