Report: Colts ask NFL to investigate tampering by Washington Commanders

The Colts want the NFL to check out the latest tampering allegations that say the Washington Commanders improperly contacted retired Indianapolis star Andrew Luck.

The Colts still own the rights to Luck, who abruptly retired in 2019. He hasn’t played since then. However, news broke over the weekend that the Commanders made some sort of contact with Luck about playing for them last season.

The Washington Post then reported that the Colts are asking the NFL about whether such alleged contact constituted tampering from the Commanders.

Here’s why the Commanders contacting Luck, the former Colts star, could be described as improper in the eyes of the NFL. Technically, he’s still under contract although he hasn’t played in four seasons. His contract continues to roll over. If he wanted to return to the NFL, other teams would need to ask permission from the Colts to talk to him.

The Colts selected Luck with the top pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played six full seasons, earning a Pro Bowl spot in four of them. Then right before the 2019 season started, Luck quit the game at the age of 29. His reason? He said he was “exhausted” from having to deal with injuries.

He’s 32 now. Might he want to return? The news this past weekend suggested that the Commanders at least wanted to check. However, the Washington Post reported that the Commanders did not contact Luck, his father, Oliver Luck, or his uncle, who had worked as his agent.

Colts want to know if Commanders committed tampering by calling intermediaries

The Post said that the Colts want the NFL to explore whether the Commanders possibly committed tampering by contacting Luck through intermediaries. The Post also reported that the Colts do not want the league to dismiss the allegations without a proper investigation.

Jim Irsay, who owns the Colts, tweeted: “If any NFL Team attempted to contact Andrew Luck (or any associate of him)… to play for their Franchise – it would be a clear Violation of the League’s Tampering Policy.”