As of Monday one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL was released by the team he called home for over a decade. The Indianapolis Colts had to make a tough business decision and release Peyton Manning due to an impending $28 million bonus that Manning would be owned on March 8th. The Colts were unwilling to keep Manning and pay him the enormous amount of money because of health issues with Manning as he missed the entire 2011 season with nerve damage in his neck. Manning says he is ready to play but at 36 years old the Colts aren't willing to risk this uncertainty.
As a result of Manning missing the entire 2011 season the Colts finished in last place and were awarded the 1st overall pick in the April's upcoming draft. Therefore the Colts are given the opportunity to draft Stanford's Andrew Luck, who has been termed a, "once in a generation type of quarterback." This was another reason as to why the Colts were willing to let Manning go.
Peyton Manning has been one of the leagues best players over the past decade and has statistically been the leagues best quarterback in the regular season. He is a remarkable talent, a great leader, a coach on the field and a great person to have in your community. Assuming Manning is going to be healthy in 2012 he will instantly make whomever signs him into a top contender. So that begs the question; Where will Manning go?
Manning is a free agent and has the ability to essentially chose any tram in the league to play for. Of course money, the team's ability to be competitive and the city in which they play in will all be major factors for Manning as he makes his decision. Manning has plenty of money and would likely want to play for a team that can provide him with an opportunity to win another Superbowl before he retires. Here are some possible landing spots for Manning.
The window of opportunity is closing for the New York Jets to win a Superbowl. The team has had long playoff runs in 2 of the last 3 seasons however have failed to achieve their coaches goal of a Superbowl. Some blame young Quarterback Mark Sanchez as the team has had a stout defense and an impressive running game. Manning could be just the short term fix this veteran team needs to get over the hump. New York is also a huge market that demands results on the field that Manning will be able to provide for this big city.
The Miami Dolphins may also have a shot at landing Manning. The team has money and is obviously a destination of quality living. The Dolphins have a solid defense and some play makers on offence. The one thing they've been missing since Dan Marino departed is an elite quarterback. Manning is that and his presence on Miami would turn them into an instant playoff contender.
The Denver Broncos proved last season that you can succeed in football without having a quality quarterback, imagine if they had one? The Tim Tebow story was cute but as the season went on it became obvious that Denver was only winning games because they had an elite defense and an elite running game. Add in Manning and all aspects of their team become elite. Manning is the type of quarterback that would instantly make Denver into a top Superbowl contender. The only question is does the team have the courage to replace the league hero in Tebow with Peyton Manning.
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