The Colts have three days to make a decision. A decision that will
either cause the largest free agency stir in possibly the history of the
National Football League, or the controversy that will come with having two
number one overall quarterbacks on the same team. Not to mention that one of those
guys is a Super Bowl Champion, a future Hall of Famer, built your franchise,
made your city relevant in the football world, and is known as easily one of
the top five quarterbacks to ever play the game. On Thursday, the Indianapolis
Colts must decide whether to pay Peyton Manning $28 million to stay in
Indianapolis, or to let go of the man that has changed the culture of a
franchise and has been the most prominent quarterback since he was drafted in 1998.
Over the weekend
there was a video "leaked" that showed Manning working out and
throwing on the Duke University campus in North Carolina. Not only was Manning
throwing, but he was throwing the ball accurately and with a lot of zip. Any
smart sports fan should know that this video was simply a public relations
tactic and that the video wasn't actually leaked from a Duke University student
trainer. This to me was genius move by Manning's camp and continues to build
the pressure on Jim Irsay and the Colts' front office. All the questions about
whether Manning would be able to throw again or whether he would be able to
throw with the same velocity are now thrown out the window. Obviously this
still leaves the questions about him taking hits and whether his neck will hold
up, but it is one less question to be answered.
I think everyone
is in agreement that there is no secret the Colts' fan base and Peyton both
want him to stay in Indianapolis and continue to lead their franchise. I
honestly believe that Irsay and the front office want Manning to stay as well,
but committing around $36 million to two quarterbacks (assuming the $28 million
for Peyton and $8 million for Andrew Luck, which I used from Cam Newton's
contract) for a year seems simply outrageous. The option is always there
to restructure Manning's deal and make it more flexible with the
salary cap, just as Ben Roethlisberger has done in Pittsburgh, but there will
still be a lot of money invested in one position. This is a situation that many
General Manager's would dream of though, you have the opportunity to have your
present and future franchise quarterbacks on the same team! A quarterback that
has led you to seven AFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls. He has
garnered four Most Valuable Player awards and has a career completion percentage
near 65%. The guy you are going to pick in the draft is the highest rated
player to come out of college since Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983. You are
living the NFL personnel dream!
Can the Colts
overlook the health issues of Peyton Manning though? Neck injuries are not to
be taken lightly and in a game that is progressively seeing more violent hits,
$28 million is a lot to invest in a guy that may take one hit and his career is
over. It would be extremely difficult to part ways with a guy who has so much
value not only to your franchise, but also the entire NFL and receive nothing
in return. It's tough to part ways with someone who graces the entire side of
your stadium and overlooks the city. It all becomes a game of head versus
heart, and finding a way to utilize both would obviously reap the most rewards.
I just find it hard to believe the Colts can feel comfortable forking
up that kind of cash for a guy that still may not be able to take a snap on
opening day. Then again, any fan who watches the amount effort, focus, and
passion that Manning puts into each and every day to become a better football
player has to believe that he is not done and still has at least three great
years left in him.
It will be
interesting to see what the Colts decide to do and as a football business fan I
believe it is in their best interest to release Manning and then try to
restructure his deal to keep him for less money and less years. Andrew Luck
will not sit on the bench for three seasons; I don't even think a franchise
could let him sit for more than one. The issue is much greater than that
though, a whole city credits Manning for what he has done and they want him to
stay. So the decision is on Irsay and the front office; do you use your head,
or your heart? The clock is ticking and you have a little over 74 hours to make
a decision.
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