Peyton Manning was the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft out of the University of Tennessee. The Indianapolis Colts drafted Manning, and now Manning is saying goodbye to a franchise he has called home for the past 14 NFL Seasons. Manning was sidelined for the 2011-2012 Season due to three vertebrae neck surgeries. If the Colts took up Manning's club option, they would owe him $28 million for this season. It is from a business standpoint that they decided to release him, because it is possible he may not play again this season, and could possibly retire. It is widely believed that the Colts will take Andrew Luck, the quarterback from Stanford, with the number one pick in April's 2012 draft.
Manning is a record-setting QB in the NFL, and also has numerous Colts franchise records. He is the only QB in history to have won 4 league MVP awards. Up until this past year he had not missed a single game in his entire 14-year career. However this year took a different turn after Manning had yet another surgery on his neck last off-season. The sequence of events that followed were like the perfect storm for his release: Manning sits out the entire year; in March of this year, the Colts were to pay him a $28 million roster bonus from his contract agreement, the Colts finish last place in the league (2-14), and highly-rated QB of the future, Andrew Luck, is waiting in the wings to be drafted.
Manning has said that he would love to remain a Colt and finish his career as one, but owner Jim Irsay is thinking otherwise. After the season finished, Irsay fired his GM Bill Polian, as well as his son Chris, who was his successor to the GM position, and lastly Coach Caldwell and some other staff as well. It appears that Irsay is looking to rebuild the franchise from scratch. Whether this is the right decision or not, only time will tell. Irsay did make the mistake of taking this matter public, via twitter, months ago when talks of Manning's departure were just beginning and now his tweets have become a reality.
Once Manning gets released by the Colts, he will become a free agent, something few who follow football would have ever thought would happen. Assuming Manning proves to be 100% healthy, it will quickly become a bidding war to see who is willing to give Manning the money he deserves. Let the race begin to sign one of the game's all-time great quarterbacks! It has been reported that at least 12 teams are interested in signing Manning, but only a few have the salary cap room to do so. Top featured teams looking to sign Manning are the Jets, Redskins, Seahawks, Cardinals, Chiefs, and Dolphins. The Redskins are in the best position to sign Manning because of ample cap space of roughly $36.5 million. However, it has been reported that Manning does not want to play in the same division as his brother Eli (Giants), which are in the Redskins' division. The Dolphins will have a good chance at signing Manning if they can re-negotiate some player salaries first.
Manning will probably sign with a team as early as a few weeks from now, and whichever team signs him instantly becomes a contender assuming he statys healthy. Manning turns 36 this month, but as a quarterback, he is still a few years away from calling it quits. The 3 teams who I think are most likely to sign Manning are: the Dolphins, Redskins, and Seahawks. Can Manning win his second Super Bowl with a different team? I guess time will tell, and the next NFL season will not be one to miss!
Manning is a record-setting QB in the NFL, and also has numerous Colts franchise records. He is the only QB in history to have won 4 league MVP awards. Up until this past year he had not missed a single game in his entire 14-year career. However this year took a different turn after Manning had yet another surgery on his neck last off-season. The sequence of events that followed were like the perfect storm for his release: Manning sits out the entire year; in March of this year, the Colts were to pay him a $28 million roster bonus from his contract agreement, the Colts finish last place in the league (2-14), and highly-rated QB of the future, Andrew Luck, is waiting in the wings to be drafted.
Manning has said that he would love to remain a Colt and finish his career as one, but owner Jim Irsay is thinking otherwise. After the season finished, Irsay fired his GM Bill Polian, as well as his son Chris, who was his successor to the GM position, and lastly Coach Caldwell and some other staff as well. It appears that Irsay is looking to rebuild the franchise from scratch. Whether this is the right decision or not, only time will tell. Irsay did make the mistake of taking this matter public, via twitter, months ago when talks of Manning's departure were just beginning and now his tweets have become a reality.
Once Manning gets released by the Colts, he will become a free agent, something few who follow football would have ever thought would happen. Assuming Manning proves to be 100% healthy, it will quickly become a bidding war to see who is willing to give Manning the money he deserves. Let the race begin to sign one of the game's all-time great quarterbacks! It has been reported that at least 12 teams are interested in signing Manning, but only a few have the salary cap room to do so. Top featured teams looking to sign Manning are the Jets, Redskins, Seahawks, Cardinals, Chiefs, and Dolphins. The Redskins are in the best position to sign Manning because of ample cap space of roughly $36.5 million. However, it has been reported that Manning does not want to play in the same division as his brother Eli (Giants), which are in the Redskins' division. The Dolphins will have a good chance at signing Manning if they can re-negotiate some player salaries first.
Manning will probably sign with a team as early as a few weeks from now, and whichever team signs him instantly becomes a contender assuming he statys healthy. Manning turns 36 this month, but as a quarterback, he is still a few years away from calling it quits. The 3 teams who I think are most likely to sign Manning are: the Dolphins, Redskins, and Seahawks. Can Manning win his second Super Bowl with a different team? I guess time will tell, and the next NFL season will not be one to miss!
