He’s said to be the man who saved the Indianapolis Colts from leaving just 25 years after they got there. He’s said to be the guy who built Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2008. He holds every single record at the quarterback position for the Colts. He is Peyton Manning. But there’s just one problem: He’s no longer a member of the Colts organization.
Manning, 35, was the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He immediately took the reins of the Colts’ offense and never looked back. Manning started 208 consecutive games, beginning at week one of his rookie season in 1998 and spanning over a decade, ending at the conclusion of the 2011 season.
But in the past year, the perfect storm of circumstances has culminated.
Multiple neck surgeries caused Manning to miss the entirety of the 2011 season. As he stood helplessly on the sidelines, his Colts faltered week in and week out. Under the direction of three different quarterbacks, the Colts tied with the St. Louis Rams for the NFL’s worse record, but the Colts won the tiebreaker with the Rams for the top pick in the draft. On the horizon is a duo of highly touted quarterbacks by the names of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck.
Similar to the situation 14 years ago in the 1998 NFL Draft, the Colts could select Manning or Washington State star quarterback Ryan Leaf with their first overall pick. The Colts opted for Manning, and Leaf ended up the second pick of the San Diego Chargers. He turned out to be a bust, playing just three seasons before retiring.
Luck, a back-to-back Heisman Trophy finalist out of Stanford University, seems to be the likely candidate for the Colts in next month’s draft. He has been called “NFL-ready” by analysts as well as the “heir-apparent” to Manning in Indy.
So where does all of this leave Peyton Manning?
Many questions were answered concerning Manning’s progress in his recovery from multiple neck surgeries when a video was released on YouTube featuring Manning participating in an “aggressive” throwing program at Duke University under the watchful eye of his former coach and current Duke head coach, David Cutcliffe.
The video has sparked confidence for a handful of teams around the league that have expressed interest in the former MVP’s services for the 2012 season, one in which he fully plans to be a part of.
Seemingly, the most likely spot for Manning is the Washington Redskins. Head Coach Mike Shanahan has a track record of building around a quarterback’s individual strengths (evident of Jake Plummer’s 2005 Pro Bowl season.)
Though the Redskins don’t have the most explosive options in the passing game, speculation is that if Manning signs with Washington, owner Dan Snyder and Manning can combine to lure Manning’s favorite target in past years in Indianapolis to Washington as well: Reggie Wayne.
If Manning can get back to pre-injury form, there’s no question he can still win games. With Manning, the Colts were a playoff team year in and year out, usually earning first round byes in the playoffs thanks to their magnificent regular season records. But without Manning, the (many) weaknesses of the Colts were exposed. Ones that Manning could cover up by winning games.
Jim Irsay had a tough decision to make. Keep the face of the franchise, or bid him adieu and gamble on the younger Andrew Luck being ready to take over the Colts offense. Years down the road, the decision can either haunt Irsay’s career, or be the highlight of his resume for the Hall of Fame.
For your sake Mr. Irsay, I hope you made the right choice. Your career just might rely on this decision and this one only.