7 Signs of the Apocalypse (Peyton Manning's Time Is Up)
Peyton Manning will without a doubt go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He has played at such a high level, including four leaue MVPs, during an impressive career. Peyton's gaudy stats should be a footnote in this "QB era" chapter of the NFL. He (and OC Tom Moore) revolutionized the way a quarterback plays the position. The pre-snap chess match perfected by Manning may be his greatest gift to football.
The once Iron Man's time looks to be coming to a close in Indianapolis and even his career could possibly be in jeopardy. For Peyton fans, it will be hard to envision a league without him. It will be interesting to see how the Peyton fans masquerading as Colt fans react to Peyton's departure. No player has meant quite as much to his team in this era than Peyton Manning. 1. 3 Neck Surgeries in 19 Months: Head, neck and back injuries are nothing to guess about. With his nerves in his neck not fusing, and no knowledge of when they might fuse, it will be hard for the Colts go into a season relying on Manning.
2. $28 Million For One Man: We all get that Manning is good, really good. Is one man really worth almost 25% of the team's salary? Only when you design it that way. This season just highlighted the need to have quality depth at every position and not depend on one player.
3. New Management: Gone are Manning's head coach (Jim Caldwell) and Indy's general manager (Bill Polian). Peyton might not want a new system. At 36, starting over is not something that tickles your fancy.
4. Teammates: There's a chance that Manning's long time center Jeff Saturday could retire with his contract being up. Also, if Reggie Wayne leaves via free agency, that would leave Dallas Clark as the only long time veteran face on the offense.
5. That #1 Draft Pick: Again, if you have two quarterbacks, you have NO quarterbacks. Most people seem to think the Colts are going with Andrew Luck. Jim Irsay as all but said it. With the team needing a drastic re-haul in talent, a franchise caliber QB (Peyton) couldn't possibly be excited about a team choosing to bring in a replacement for him instead of weapons.
6. Defensive Philosophy: Chuck Pagano has been brought in as new head coach and will run the 3-4 defense. Pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (if re-signed) will likely be able to transition to standup linebackers in the new defense, but they will need to upgrade the interior. That will require attention in both the draft and through free agency. The real problem in Indy is the secondary.
7. No Jeff Fisher: Listen, if Jim Irsay really wanted to get a better coach and he had Manning in his thoughts, he would have brought in Jeff Fisher. Fisher knows how the organization works and experienced first hand what Peyton could do for (or in his case, to) a team. He's also has a defensive background and would let Peyton run his offense. Perfect fit for Manning, not so perfect without.
I don't know how Peyton's neck will heal. I don't know how much interest he will receive from teams once he hits the open market. What seems very clear, is the Colts' decision to move on from Manning. If Irsay won't give Manning a chance to sit down and talk, It's probably because he knows how the conversation will go. It's hard to tell the guy that made your franchise relevant that you no longer need his services. This just goes to show that no matter who the football player is, he doesn't get to choose his exit. His boss will.
3. New Management: Gone are Manning's head coach (Jim Caldwell) and Indy's general manager (Bill Polian). Peyton might not want a new system. At 36, starting over is not something that tickles your fancy.
4. Teammates: There's a chance that Manning's long time center Jeff Saturday could retire with his contract being up. Also, if Reggie Wayne leaves via free agency, that would leave Dallas Clark as the only long time veteran face on the offense.
5. That #1 Draft Pick: Again, if you have two quarterbacks, you have NO quarterbacks. Most people seem to think the Colts are going with Andrew Luck. Jim Irsay as all but said it. With the team needing a drastic re-haul in talent, a franchise caliber QB (Peyton) couldn't possibly be excited about a team choosing to bring in a replacement for him instead of weapons.
6. Defensive Philosophy: Chuck Pagano has been brought in as new head coach and will run the 3-4 defense. Pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (if re-signed) will likely be able to transition to standup linebackers in the new defense, but they will need to upgrade the interior. That will require attention in both the draft and through free agency. The real problem in Indy is the secondary.
7. No Jeff Fisher: Listen, if Jim Irsay really wanted to get a better coach and he had Manning in his thoughts, he would have brought in Jeff Fisher. Fisher knows how the organization works and experienced first hand what Peyton could do for (or in his case, to) a team. He's also has a defensive background and would let Peyton run his offense. Perfect fit for Manning, not so perfect without.
I don't know how Peyton's neck will heal. I don't know how much interest he will receive from teams once he hits the open market. What seems very clear, is the Colts' decision to move on from Manning. If Irsay won't give Manning a chance to sit down and talk, It's probably because he knows how the conversation will go. It's hard to tell the guy that made your franchise relevant that you no longer need his services. This just goes to show that no matter who the football player is, he doesn't get to choose his exit. His boss will.
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