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INDIANAPOLIS – The reaction looked like he had just won the Super Bowl, instead of actually winning a meaningless Week 17 game with zero playoff implications on the line, thus costing the Colts a couple of positions in the draft.
A fist-pumping Andrew Luck, showing no signs of an injured shoulder, having just dog piled in the end zone, was now sprinting up and down the sidelines high-fiving anyone in sight.
Luck had just thrown a game-winning touchdown pass to Jack Doyle, securing a .500 season by beating the 3-13 Jaguars.
The win was the final NFL game for Robert Mathis,. And later we found out Pat McAfee, too. It also marked the last game for Ryan Grigson as the team’s general manager, with that firing taking place 3 weeks later.
What all has happened since Luck’s last game with the Colts, which occurred on January 1, 2017?
- In the 568 days since, Luck has yet to play in a game and has only practiced 6 limited times in those 19 months. Luck had surgery a couple of weeks after the 2016 season finale against the Jaguars.
- The Colts have had 3 head coaches: Chuck Pagano was fired a season later, after again going 8-8, this time without Luck. Josh McDaniels was the team’s head coach for about 9 hours. Fresh off a Super Bowl title with the Eagles, Frank Reich is now the head man with Luck’s return imminent.
- The Jaguars and Colts have flipped the spots each franchise is largely known for. In 2017, it was the Colts as the AFC South cellar dwellers. And the Jaguars were winning the division and knocking on the door of a Super Bowl berth.
- Remember these names: Jonotthan Harrison, Phillip Dorsett, David Parry, Darryl Morris? Those guys started for the Colts in Luck’s last game. The following guys also saw action for the Colts on that New Year’s Day: Duke Williams, Charles James, Chris Carter, Deon King and Devin Street.
- The highlights from that game? Frank Gore becoming the Colts’ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2007 and T.Y. Hilton capturing the league receiving title with 1,445 yards. Gore became the NFL’s oldest player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since 1985.
- Luke Rhodes was a linebacker in that 2016 season finale. He’s now the team’s long snapper.
- The XFL is back. And Oliver Luck, the father of Andrew, is now the league’s commissioner.
The celebration from Luck was really unlike anything we’ve seen from him, but it was a reminder of the quarterback’s genuine love for the game of football.
That love was ripped away from him last year.
It has returned some 19 months later.
Now, we will see if this repaired right shoulder of Luck will have him fist pumping again.
