Why Did Andre Johnson Choose the Colts? "Andrew Luck"

Andre Johnson is officially a Colt.  The team's pursuit of the veteran receiver ended this afternoon as Johnson signed with the team, making him the newest member of a very exciting Colts offense.  It was another player already on the offense that was the biggest reason why Johnson signed with the Colts, however.

In a radio interview with several members of the Colts.com staff, Johnson was asked why he choose the Colts.  He gave a two word answer: "Andrew Luck."

The young quarterback is certainly a big draw for a number of free agents but particularly wide receivers.  Through his first three years in the league, Luck has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 12,957 yards and 86 touchdowns, already having emerged as one of the game's best players at the position.  In 2014, he led the entire NFL with 40 touchdown passes and broke a Colts' franchise record with 4,761 yards.  "I think he's a heck of a player," Johnson noted.  "He's very special - a very special player.  So I'm excited, man, I can't wait to get to work with him."

For Johnson, it'll be perhaps the first time in his career that he'll have the chance to play with a stable, elite quarterback.  "That was a big thing for me," Johnson acknowledged.  "You know, when I was released a lot of my friends and family and stuff, they were like, 'well, I guess you're gonna probably go to the Patriots to play with Tom Brady' or something like that, and in my mind I'm like, 'you all must not know about that kid down in Indy.'

"But that was the big thing - I wanted to go somewhere that had a stable quarterback.  And Andrew being young, you know he's going to be around for a while so, like I said, I felt like this was the best fit for me."

Of course, Johnson also came to Indianapolis for another reason, too: to win a Super Bowl.  Those two things aren't entirely different, however, as Andrew Luck being under center is the biggest thing that makes the Colts a title contender.  Johnson teamed up with his friend and college teammate Frank Gore to win a championship in Indy.

When the veteran receiver was released from the Texans on Monday, Gore called him almost immediately.  And Johnson asked Gore where the running back felt was the best chance to win a Super Bowl at right now.  "He told me Indy," Johnson said, "and that was already on my mind, so I was just like, 'let's do it!'"

With Andrew Luck at quarterback and with new offensive weapons in Johnson and Gore to add to what Johnson called an already "very explosive" group of receivers, perhaps they really will do just that.