The Washington Commanders had a wide search to find a new quarterback, and one name in slight consideration was Andrew Luck.
The Washington Commanders had an obvious need at quarterback this offseason, and we know just how wide of a search they had for potential options. Ultimately, they opted to trade for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz. As it turns out, they considered pursuing someone who was retired prior to that move.
In an article by ESPN’s John Keim, the Commanders at least briefly brought up former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck in conversations prior to the Wentz trade.
“At one point they even wondered: Would Andrew Luck, the retired former Colt, want to play again? That went nowhere,” wrote Keim. “But whether it was realistic or a Lloyd Christmas ‘So you’re telling me there’s a chance’ scenario, they wanted to make sure every ‘i’ was dotted.”
Commanders reportedly considered Andrew Luck prior to Carson Wentz trade
As Keim notes in the article linked above, the thought of bringing in Luck went nowhere. Luck was Indianapolis’ first-overall pick in 2012, led the team to the playoffs four times and made four Pro Bowls in his seven years. But ahead of the 2019 season, one year removed from winning the Comeback Player of the Year award, Luck retired from the NFL.
It has been evident for quite some time that Luck is not returning to the NFL. But, Washington at least briefly considered him as a potential option.
The Commanders were adamant on finding a top option to start under center. They were in on Russell Wilson, but that never came to fruition, as the Denver Broncos were able to successfully negotiate a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
Ultimately, Washington ended their search and called the Colts to negotiate a trade for Wentz. A deal was done after they sent a 2022 second-round pick, a 2022 third-round pick and a 2023 conditional third-round pick to Indianapolis in exchange for Wentz and a 2022 second-round pick.
The Commanders are hoping that Wentz can help lead the team back to the playoffs and to the Super Bowl. Given the current landscape of the NFC, a playoff berth could be in the cards for Washington.