According to ESPN.com sources, Peyton Manning has been medically cleared by two doctors, one of whom performed the most recent surgery on the Colts quarterback’s neck, to resume his NFL career.
Sources broke the good news to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter – .but it was tempered by Colts owner Jim Irsay, who tweeted that “Peyton has not passed our physical nor has he been cleared to play for The Indianapolis Colts.”
The sources said Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed the procedure on Manning, examined the player recently in Los Angeles and concluded the stability in his neck would have allowed Manning to play this Sunday, even, if the nerves in his arm had regenerated to a satisfactory performance level.
Watkins also instructed the quarterback to continue an aggressive rehabilitation path that provides an optimistic outlook for Manning to play in 2012. Watkins performed Manning’s spinal fusion on Sept. 8, and on Dec. 1 declared that the fusion had achieved “firm fixation.”
Watkins, according to the sources, joined Colts neurosurgeon Dr. Hank Feuer in clearing Manning to play. One source said that Feuer recently told Manning, “If you were my own son, I’d tell [you] to go play.”
A spokesman for Watkins said in a one-paragraph email sent later Thursday night that the Colts’ star was cleared to play.
“Peyton Manning underwent a thorough medical re-evaluation as part of a postoperative visit with his surgeon,” Watkins’ statement read. “As a result of this examination, Manning is medically cleared to play professional football.”
Irsay said a team statement would be forthcoming later Friday.
Information from Espn.com contributed to this report.
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