Indianapolis Colts Rumors: Peyton Manning's Time In Indy is at an End, Even if Owner Irsay Won't Admit It

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Colts.com

By Kris Knox
Featured NFL Writer


Recent weeks have brought some new found excitement for those following the drama surrounding the future of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

We do not yet know where or even if Manning will play football next season. What we do know is that the relationship between the 14-year veteran and Colts' owner Jim Irsay has become increasingly strained in the days since Indianapolis finished its 2-14 season.

Manning and Irsay have made their issues well known, publicly trading jabs in the media and making a volatile situation even more strenuous. The pair did release a joint statement claiming that everything is just fine, but no one is buying it.

Of course, it is easy to see how the question of Manning's future is creating a stressful situation in Indianapolis. All eyes are on the Colts as the world awaits a decision on the quarterback's future and Irsay and Manning might be holding on to a secret that has become difficult to contain.

According to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora, Irsay and the Colts have already decided to part ways with Manning, and the decision was made weeks ago.

“According to sources who were involved in the Colts’ GM search, the organization was planning to move on from Manning weeks ago, well before this public squabble between the quarterback and his owner,”  La Canfora said Friday on NFL Total Access.

While Irsay has denied that a decision has already been made, La Canfora's claims seem plausible. Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus in March and with the Colts set to draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, keeping both quarterbacks makes little financial sense.

One question remains, however. If Irsay has already made the decision to let Manning walk, why all the secrecy? Why not let Manning and the rest of the world know now, so that the future hall of famer can focus solely on his own future instead of wondering what his options will be?

This, of course, could be the real reason behind the public spat between the two. Perhaps Irsay is attempting to pressure Manning into restructuring his contract or delaying the hefty roster bonus or perhaps Irsay is simply attempting to put off the backlash that is sure to come with the release of the four-time league MVP.

Either way, avoiding the issue now is only keeping Manning from making a fair decision about his future. He might not wish to continue his NFL career with another team, if he even recovers fully from the series of neck surgeries that sidelined him in the first place. For now, his only option is to wait.

Irsay might try to deny it, until the day of Manning's release, but do not expect the quarterback to take another snap in a Colts uniform, this season or any other. Financial implications aside, the Colts are starting over with a new general manager in Ryan Grigson, a new head coach in Chuck Pagano and almost certainly a new quarterback in Luck.

As unbelievable as it might seem, Manning has simply outlived his usefulness in Indianapolis, even if no one is yet willing to come out and say it.


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