Let's take a trip down memory lane. It's Feb. 8, 2010, the day after a thrilling Super Bowl XLIV that saw the New Orleans Saints overcome a 10-0 deficit, knock off the Indianapolis Colts and deliver the Big Easy its first championship.
On the losing sideline stood Peyton Manning, shaken but still still confident. Knocked down but not knocked out. An NFL-record four MVP Awards, two Super Bowl appearances. A Lombardi Trophy in 2007. So many achievements, no reason to doubt more were on their way.
Now let's fast-forward to the present. Manning hasn't played a down for the Colts since a Jan. 8, 2011 playoff loss to the Jets. Four neck surgeries forced Peyton to sit all of last season, reducing Indianapolis to a comedic trio of Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky.
The result, predictable: The Colts went 2-14, clinched the upcoming NFL Draft's first pick and cleaned house. Owner Jim Irsay fired head coach Jim Caldwell, vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, vice president and general manager Chris Polian -- sending a message that the team was focused on rebuilding behind new leadership.
All of that set the tone for the question of the offseason: What to do about Peyton Manning? His future had become quite murky. But how do you cut the man that put the city on his back for 13 healthy years? At the end of the day, Irsay made the correct call releasing the 14-year veteran on March 7.
Too many things made this an easy call. The most obvious being that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck waits in the wings to take Manning's place. But I'll get to that. First, let's talk money.
The Colts gave Manning a 5-year, $90 million extension in July. With NFL contracts being non-guaranteed, the Colts were left with a choice: Either keep Manning, and pay him a $28 million roster bonus, trade him and see the types of picks that come pouring in or let the legend go and save a boatload of money. Out of respect for Manning, Irsay decided not to trade his star. If Manning was to go elsewhere, then Irsay respected him enough to let Manning choose his destination.
But football is a business. And no grainy video of Manning working out at Duke University was proof enough to suggest the 35-year-old is healthy enough to return to form. So Irsay let him go. For the first time in his professional career, Manning will no longer be associated with the Indianapolis Colts.
It will all work out fine for both parties. Manning will find a new destination (my bet's on Miami), a new paycheck and, probably, new success. The Colts, meanwhile, will have a better option behind center. That's because Andrew Luck is, quite simply, the most NFL-ready quarterback to come out of college since, well, Peyton Manning. Just watch his highlight video, you'll be mesmerized.
He put up 3,500 yards last season. He completed 71 percent of his passes. Thirty-seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions. Yawn. Did I mention he played at Stanford? He produced -- and won games -- in the Pac-12 with an offense that lacked talent at wide receiver. His primary -- only -- weapons were his tight ends, which kind of makes it a difficult to succeed in what is arguably the second best conference in college football. But he did. With flying colors.
His weaknesses? Well, we can save this conversation for another day, but the answer is the play call of current head coach and former offensive coordinator David Shaw, who relied mainly on the run game despite having a once in a generation, not seen in Palo Alto since John Elway-type talent in the backfield.
How will Luck translate to the pros? Flawlessly. He makes all the right reads (It shouldn't be ironic that a Stanford kid is smart), has accuracy all over the field, possesses uncanny pocket presence and is as quick as Cam Newton. The guy is as can't miss as humanly possible.
And thus, Irsay and the Colts Luck out (I hate name puns as much as you do, believe me. But it's 3 a.m. and it made me laugh, so I'm leaving it in.) once again. The same franchise that struck gold with Johnny Unitas in the 1950s and 60s and Manning since he was drafted in 1998 is getting a signal caller that could eclipse the accolades both of those Hall of Fame level quarterbacks achieved.
And really, the fact that Indianapolis stands where they do right now is a rather Luck-y (Oops, I did it again) coincidence. It took a long chain of events to make this happen. If one link of the chain had fallen off, the franchise is in a much different place right now. What if Luck had decided to go pro last season when the Carolina Panthers were salivating over his potential? What if Manning had tried to fight through pain and play last season? What if the Colts had won just one more game?
If any of that happened, Indy wouldn't be gifted with this opportunity. Peyton Manning blessed the city with his play for 13 years, but those days are over. The calendar has flipped. It's not Feb. 8, 2010. But there's still hope.
Just with a different quarterback calling the shots.