The secret is out.
Andrew Luck will be the Indianapolis Colts’ new quarterback.
A person with direct knowledge of the situation said Thursday that the Colts have notified Luck that they plan to take the Stanford quarterback with the No. 1 pick in next week’s NFL draft barring some unforeseen event between now and then. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not publicly disclosed its plan.
It’s hardly a surprise that the Colts are turning to Luck as the cornerstone of their massive rebuilding project. Luck was projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft before returning to school for his fourth season. He gave up his final year of college eligibility to enter this year’s draft, which was dubbed the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes from the start.
Contract negotiations are not expected to begin before the draft, the person familiar with the situation said.
Will Wilson, Luck’s agent, did not immediately respond to phone messages or text messages Thursday.
“We’ve exhausted the process,” new Indy general manager Ryan Grigson told reporters. “We’ve pretty much made up our minds and we’re going to go from there. We feel good about it and we’ll go from there.”
Grigson acknowledged that the Colts made their decision “a little while” ago, though he declined to say whether the Colts would take Luck or Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor.
The secret lasted less than 24 hours.
ESPN.com first reported that the Colts’ had informed Luck they will take him.
That would likely send Griffin to the Redskins, who traded a first- and second-round pick this year and first-rounders each of the next two years to St. Louis to move into the No. 2 slot.
OFFICIALS TO MEET IN MINNESOTA
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers will come to Minnesota to meet with state lawmakers and urge progress on the struggling effort to build a new stadium for the Vikings.
Dayton said he’d convene a meeting today in his office with Goodell, Art Rooney and the Legislature’s four caucus leaders. Rooney leads the NFL’s stadium committee.
“If it isn’t passed this session, the league itself — beyond the Vikings — the league itself has serious concerns about the viability of the franchise here and the future of it here,” Dayton said after a 20-minute phone conversation with Goodell and Rooney.
EXTRA POINTS
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carlos A. Chung terminated the murder trial of former Oakland Raider Anthony Wayne Smith after jurors were unable to reach a verdict on whether Smith was involved in the killing of 31-year-old mechanic Maurilio Ponce on Oct. 7, 2008. … The Ravens have agreed to a one-year deal with quarterback Curtis Painter, who started eight games last season for the Colts. … The NFL has moved the kickoff for the Miami Dolphins’ home game in Week 2 against the Oakland Raiders from 1:15 p.m. (PDT) to 10 a.m. because of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. … The Chicago Bears agreed on a one-year contract with linebacker Geno Hayes.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.