Saturday.Then he said goodbye to the NFL.The Indianapolis Colts quarterback heard boos as he walked away from the field Indianapolis Colts Hoodie , then walked to the podium and made the surprise decision official. The oft-injured star is retiring at age 29.“I’m in pain, I’m still in pain. It’s been four years of this pain, rehab cycle,” Luck said. “It’s a myriad of issues — calf strain, posterior ankle impingement, high ankle sprain. Part of my journey going forward will be figuring out how to feel better.”Luck wasn’t planning to make the announcement following Saturday’s 27-17 loss to the Chicago Bears. But when ESPN first reported the news during the fourth quarter, Luck changed the plan for a Sunday afternoon announcement.Instead https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Le_Raven-Clark-Jersey , he held a 25-minute impromptu news conference.At times he sounded wistful. At others, his voice cracked with emotion.One thing was clear: The endless barrage of injuries stripped away his joy for the game and prompted him to walk away so he could enjoy the life he wants.“There’s no doubt when you hear him talk about the cycle of pain and injury and rehab, you can hear that,” coach Frank Reich said. “There’s a saying in football that everyone knows and everybody lives by, it’s next man up and even though this situation is unique, no one is exempt.”That task now falls to Jacoby Brissett, a fourth-year player whom the Colts acquired in a cutdown weekend trade two years ago.He went 4-11 as a starter in the 2017 season after taking over for opening day starter Scott Tolzien.But the Colts had already been preparing for the possibility Luck might not be ready for the Sept. 8 season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Luck was diagnosed with a strained left calf in March and team officials kept him out of all of the team’s offseason workouts.He returned to limited action when training camp opened in late July. After three practices Khari Willis Jersey , though, the lingering pain near his ankle forced him back into rehab. He hadn’t practiced with the team since, though he did throw passes in pregame warmups before last week’s preseason game.“I had a thought that it might be my last time throwing at Lucas Oil as a current member of the Colts team,” Luck said. “And I wanted to make sure I could go out and enjoy it.”It wasn’t just the leg.He played with shoulder pain for most of 2015 and 2016, and his 2015 season ended when he suffered a lacerated kidney. He missed all of 2017 following shoulder surgery and then the happy-go-lucky former Stanford star dealt with more pain and more endless months of rehab.“I am going to retire,” Luck said. “This is not an easy decision. It’s the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me.”Luck’s former coach Chuck Pagano made his first return to Lucas Oil Stadium since he was fired as the Colts’ head coach following the 2017 season. Luck did not play that season because he was recovering from surgery on his throwing shoulder.He returned last season and led the Colts back to the playoffs for the first time in four years, winning the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award.Reich had said he hoped to have an answer about Luck’s availability for the Sept. 8 season opener after the third preseason game. This might not have been the one he wanted — and certainly didn’t expect.“Teams win http://www.coltsfanshop.com/Bobby-Okereke-Jersey , don’t write the end of the story yet. “I’m telling you the story’s not over yet.” The Indianapolis Colts launch into the post-Luck era with his successor on the bench.Coach Frank Reich plans to sit Jacoby Brissett against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, the Colts’ first game since Andrew Luck announced his retirement. Either Phillip Walker or Chad Kelly will start, competing for the No. 2 job. Kelly has played well in all three preseason games but must serve a two-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Walker has spent the last two seasons on Indianapolis’ practice squad.Reich plans to rest his starters and some key backups.Before the Colts returned to the field Monday, Reich met with general manager Chris Ballard, then the players dressed in a locker room where Luck’s empty stall served as a glaring reminder of how topsy-turvy things had gotten in just a matter of days. By Tuesday, it was finally starting to feel more like a game week.“Emotionally, it felt like a more normal day Parris Campbell Jersey ,” Reich said. “I think now that all the announcements have been made and everything’s been done we’re in the mode of let’s get ready for this season.”One new face is expected to play: rookie receiver Parris Campbell, a third-round draft pick who missed most of training camp and the three preseason games with a hamstring injury.The Colts hope to avoid their first winless preseason since 2014, a season in which they eventually lost to New England in the AFC championship game.The Bengals also plan to rest starters in the final game. It’s unclear whether receiver John Ross, who missed all of camp and returned to practice this week, will play. The Bengals must decide whether to keep star receiver A.J. Green on the active roster while he recovers from ankle surgery. Coach Zac Taylor said there’s no timetable for his return.52<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:Greetings from Westfield: Colts training camp 2019AP | Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved.