Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck spoke to the media this evening to announce his retirement from the game of football.

One of the few people on the planet who can run an above-average NFL offense has decided to give up on the game of football. With more than $60 million left on his deal, and at the age of just 29, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announced his sudden retirement on Saturday night. He leaves a peculiar and unique legacy in the league, and his departure leaves the Colts without a clear direction going forward.

The announcement comes as a shock just two weeks before the season begins, even though the Colts apparently knew Luck had been pondering retirement (according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he hopes to explore the world). In their prime, quarterbacks don’t abruptly hang up their cleats in late August.

Furthermore, not all quarterbacks have careers as successful as Andrew Luck’s. After Saturday’s preseason game, stunned Colts supporters jeered Luck as he left the field—a move they will probably regret. Although Luck is loved by Colts fans and they will likely remember him with fondness, they were at a loss for words when their franchise star announced his surprise retirement.

Given how many more years he could have played, Luck’s career finale—which had previously thought to be the middle—has been marred by odd injuries. The Colts minimized the treatment Luck underwent after the 2016 season on his throwing shoulder, which ultimately cost him the whole 2017 season.

He had lately contended with a high-ankle problem that kept him out of training camp; this injury was initially thought to be a calf strain, adding to the mystery surrounding it. (In addition to the several other injuries, such as the lacerated kidney and torn rib cartilage.)

During a news conference on Saturday night, Luck discussed the injuries he sustained during his playing career in 2016 and stated he “made a vow” to himself not to experience those kinds of things again. Luck remarked, “I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live.” The enjoyment of this game has been diminished. My only option going ahead is to give up playing football.

Last season, Luck had a career-best year, throwing for over 4,500 yards and 39 touchdowns. The Colts made it to the second round of the playoffs, and he was named Comeback Player of the Year. The player, luck, still has it. However, the misery of playing through ailments week in and week out, year in and year out, proved to be too much to bear.

For the Colts, nothing is obvious right now. With Luck, Indianapolis was predicted to win the AFC South, win roughly ten games, and possibly go far in the postseason. The Colts were also primed for success in the upcoming years thanks to their franchise quarterback, a perfect salary cap situation, and a general manager in Chris Ballard, who had recently made a number of astute choices in the draft and free agency.

The Colts were #1 on ESPN’s NFL Future Power Rankings when they were released in July. It’s unknown how the franchise will develop going ahead.

In 2017, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett started in place of Luck and finished with a 4-11 record. Although Brissett is a reliable backup, an organization shouldn’t base its future on him. The Colts’ course has suddenly shifted. For the first time since 1998, when Indianapolis selected Peyton Manning, the team’s future at the most crucial position in football is questionable.

Over his career, Luck’s talent was consistently apparent. At six feet four inches tall and possessing a flawless arm, Luck was a five-star prospect during his high school career. Had he not departed Stanford after his junior year, he might have been the first choice in the 2011 NFL draft.

Nevertheless, he stayed on and helped the Cardinals win the Fiesta Bowl while a redshirt junior before going on to be the first pick overall in the 2012 draft. His transition to the NFL was smooth; in his first three seasons, the Colts qualified for the playoffs and he was selected to the Pro Bowl each time.

At the tender age of 25, he led the league in touchdowns in 2014 and helped lead the Colts to the AFC title game.

And as it happened, Luck’s rather brief career peaked at that point. In a league where quarterbacks consistently perform far over 40, he had not yet led the Colts to the Super Bowl and retires at the age of 29. After just six seasons of play, four postseason trips, and four Pro Bowl invitations, he announces his retirement.

Although it’s far from tragic to watch a young man in pretty good health leave the sport happy to become a multimillionaire, it’s difficult not to feel nostalgic about what more luck could have done on the field.