Andrew Luck’s decision to retire was a shocking reminder of the finite nature of professional sports careers. While we like to see the stars and potential stars give all they can throughout two-decade careers, it is far more likely that they will have a shorter career.

Luck, who is not yet 30 years old, will have some options going into retirement about what he wants to do next, however.

Andrew Luck’s retirement

After winning Comeback Player of the Year for the 2018 season, many believed that Andrew Luck still had his best years ahead of him. After years of struggling with injury, he was playing like the superstar who many presumed him to be before he even entered the NFL.

He was, after all, the guy who the Colts were confident enough in to ship out Peyton Manning during the twilight of his career. The reactions to his retirement included praise, confusion, and even some boos from the fans who once loved him. 

Luck’s injuries affected not only his play, however, and but his mental health. He recently gave a candid interview about his recent decision to start looking at life outside of football for joy.

Now that he is retired, Luck will have to find something else to occupy his time. Will it be football-related, degree-related, or something out of left-field? We don’t know, but these are some of the possibilities. 

Architect?

Many college athletes take degrees paths that work well with their athletic dreams. Andrew Luck, however, decided to pursue a different dream altogether while he was in school.

In 2012 he graduated from Stanford with a degree in architecture. While it wouldn’t be a normal career path, perhaps Luck could use some of his NFL money to work with his degree and get into the field. 

In an interview with his alma mater, Luck talked about his love of architecture. 

“I chose it because of my longtime interest in buildings, both their aesthetic value and structure.” 

Whether working hands-on in the field or investing, the idea that he would use his degree is not an entirely crazy one. 

Television?

Like fellow Colts great Peyton Manning, could Luck be interested in doing some television work? While Manning shies away from analysis, there were rumors that television networks were already clamoring to get Luck in their booths.

However, Luck has never shown interest in this line of work. This doesn’t mean that he can’t get on television, but with millions of dollars in the bank, he doesn’t need to stay inside the spotlight.

Stay-at-home dad?

Andrew Luck could never work again and live comfortably, and with a kid on the way, perhaps his reason for retiring was to stay at home with his wife and baby.

Luck has long credited his wife, Nicole, for keeping him humble and making sure that he realized that there was life after football. Because of this, the timing is interesting. Luck could very well want to pursue a new career sometime soon, but perhaps his immediate future will be spent at home.

XFL?

Andrew Luck has a connection with the newly-reformed, but yet-to-launch XFL. His dad is going to be the league’s commissioner. Could this mean that Luck is interested in joining up with the new league?

Probably not, but with the connection, it is a possibility that is worth noting. Keep in mind the best-paid XFL players will reportedly make less than the worst-paid NFL players, so there is no incentive for Luck to join his dad, and if he decides to come back, expect it to be in the league where he made his name.