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Andrew Luck was drafted first overall under the new collecting bargaining agreement, which means he wasn’t given a completely insane deal as a rookie. However, with his deal coming to an end, the Indianapolis Colts needed to pony up in order to make sure their franchise quarterback stayed with them. It seemed inevitable that Luck wouldn’t be going anywhere, that he would remain the heir apparent to Peyton Manning.
Now we know he is indeed staying put, and on a deal that is staggering in its immensity.
According to reports, Luck’s deal, which includes a new five-year extension, is for six years and a little more than $139 million. This makes Luck the highest paid player in the history of the NFL. The guaranteed money on this deal is also amazing. Luck is guaranteed $87 million, which blows away the previous record of $65 million, which was held by Eli Manning and Philip Rivers:
Before today, richest guarantees were $65 million given to Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. Colts gave Andrew Luck $87 million in guarantees.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 29, 2016
The Colts have gone all-in on Andrew Luck. They have given him more money than any player in NFL history, but now they kind of need him to become one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history to justify that. If he doesn’t end up leading the Colts to a Super Bowl win, no matter how good he plays, there will be those who complain about this deal. However, the die has been cast. The Colts will go as far as Luck, and his record-breaking contract, take them.
