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Fans, Colts teammates react after Andrew Luck's shocking retirement announcement

Andrew Luck shocked the sports world on Saturday night, announcing his surprise retirement from the NFL after just six seasons as the Indianapolis Colts quarterback.

Luck, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, has battled a myriad of injuries throughout his career, including a lingering shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire 2017 season. Luck had yet to make an appearance this preseason, either, due to a lower leg injury.

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After his latest setback, Luck said the injury cycle had simply become too much for him. It took the joy out of the game, and the only way to fix that was to stop playing.

“This is not an easy decision,” Luck said on Saturday night. “Honestly it’s the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me.”

Naturally, the news shocked the sports world — and social media was set ablaze.

Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, who suffered a season-ending leg injury himself in 2017, had nothing but praise for Luck after his decision, too.

“He’s an incredible competitor,” Watt said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “I’ve loved playing against him. I think it takes an immense amount of courage, an immense amount of self-reflection and a lot of guts to do what he’s doing. I’m sure people have their ways of looking at it and their ways of trying to say what they would do in his shoes, but the truth is, nobody’s in his shoes. Nobody has had to go through what he had had to go through ... I respect the hell out of it.

“It takes a whole lot to walk away from a ton of money like that, an organization like that. I respect it ... I know he’s probably wrestled with it for a very long time. I wish him absolutely all the best.”

There were a few, well, not great takes, too — especially from fans at the Colts’ preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night, who booed Luck as he walked off the field.

And to those who had already drafted Luck for their fantasy football teams this season — including O.J. Simpson — best of luck finding a new quarterback.

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