Today the Indianapolis Colts cut loose one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game. While the dollars don’t make sense for Indy, they may have been better served paying Peyton Manning the money for one final season.
I realize that $28 million is an enormous figure, especially for a player who missed the entire 2011-12 season and whose health going forward is a huge question mark. But with the rookie salary cap in place, Andrew Luck’s salary won’t be as astronomical as many former #1 overall picks. Sure, Manning’s bonus would eat up a huge chunk of Indy’s cap room, but if he proves to be healthy, he’s worth more wins than any free-agent they could sign. Meanwhile, Luck gets to sit a year and learn firsthand from one of the finest minds and hardest workers at the QB position. An added bonus would be attendance, as the fans would flock to see Manning’s final season.
Of course, Jim Irsay and the Colts are probably of the belief that Manning’s injury problems will persist. They’re not interested in wagering $28 million the Peyton giving it the good ol’ college try. Worst case scenario would be that Manning’s comeback fails and the Colts are stuck paying $28 million for an assistant coach. But he’d still be able to provide invaluable insight to Luck, the Colt’s new multimillion-dollar signal caller. Think of it as developmental insurance.
Ultimately NFL memories are short when it comes to past success. Now Manning will venture out into the world of free agency. Assuming health, he stands to have a tremendous impact on the coming NFL season. For the Rams’ sake, I hope he stays far away from the NFC West.
