Rumors surrounding Peyton Manning, the current QB for the Indianapolis Colts, have been circulating since the dreaded lockout this past summer. While players and coaches were meeting to make sure another NFL season would happen, Peyton was attempting to recover from neck surgery without the help of the Colt’s personal trainers. The lockout was eventually ended as the season start approached. Manning was ruled out from the season opener and had another surgery soon after. That was when the world realized that Peyton was in fact human and waited with held breath to hear when he would make his return to the Colts. The world is still waiting.
With the NFL
Combine over all the teams have gotten a good look at potential draftees,
especially important for the Colts who hold the Drafts #1 pick. It is widely
predicted that the Colts will use that pick on Andrew Luck, a QB out of
Stanford. This is a big deal. Drafting a QB this high in the draft means that the
team not only needs the player, but that he is going to be their starter. This
regularly would be no big deal, if say your team was the Redskins. But this is
Peyton Manning we are talking about. He is a Super Bowl MVP, 4 time NFL MVP, 11
time Pro Bowl nominee, and holds countless records (1). And he is potentially
being replaced by a unproven rookie.
But making
more news than Peyton potentially being let go from the Colts, his only team
since drafted in 1998 (2), is who would be interested in giving him a chance to
play again. Multiple teams have been attached to rumors of being interested in
giving Manning a shot. The Jets, Dolphins, Redskins, Chiefs, Cardinals, Seahawks,
and 49ers have all been in one way or another mentioned in ties to Manning
rumors. Though, the most likely landing places for Manning would be with the
Redskins, Dolphins, or Seahawks (which seems to be universally agreed upon) as
none of these teams have any confidence in their current QBs (Rex Grossman/John
Beck, Chad Henne, and Tavaris Jackson respectively) (3 & 4).
As it stands
right now though, Peyton Manning is still a Colt and Jim Irsay will have you know
it. It has become very much a PR battle between Peyton and Irsay, with both
sides trying to look like the good guy. Time is running out though, as the
Colts owe Peyton $28 million on March 8th. The general consensus is
that the Colts will let Manning go before that bonus is due. What’s worse is
that Irsay has said that Manning’s return to the Colts is dependent on his
health (5).While Peyton has been cleared medically (6), the coaching staff
cannot view Peyton throwing before his bonus is due (6). This leaves a $28
million risk in the hands of the Colts. Do you risk it and keep a QB who was
one of the greats and hope he returns to greatness? Or do you save your money
and invest in Luck and a new era in Indy?
Regardless
of what happens in the coming week, Peyton WILL make headlines. It is my
personal opinion that Peyton Manning will not be wearing his #18 in a Colts
jersey in 2012, and most of the evidence seems to point that way. We all wait
with baited breath to see what happens to the legendary Peyton Manning.
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