Peyton Manning is released by the Colts today, March 7, 2012. This is almost as shocking as the neck injuries and surgeries that ultimately cost him the 2011 season. The NFL is all about sports and fun, but it is also a business. The Colts did what they had to do TODAY by releasing Manning. Even if he was healthy and never got hurt (and was not in his mid 30s), the Colts could not seriously hope to compete under a hard salary cap paying one guy, even the leader of the team nearly $36 million dollars (28 million was a bonus, plus nearly $8 million in salary) for ONE season. Sorry.
This did not have to happen. If the Colts (meaning Irsay and Polian and so on, not really the coach, since on this team, it was not his call) had used more of their money (for free agents) and draft picks (even late round ones) to get a decent backup QB (especially) and RB and so on and got Manning to take a little less money to help re-sign important players on both sides of the ball, this situation would never have happened. True, if that had happened, and Manning had still missed 2011, the Colts may still have had a top-5 pick and drafted a great player for the future (probably not Luck, but maybe even RGIII, for example) and still have Manning to groom and teach and finish his career as a Colt, as it should have been.
True, Manning could have given a hometown discount (maybe he did?) in his contracts after his rookie deal as a Number One overall pick, but the Colts had to be smart with ALL of their personnel choices and they weren't. Instead the Polian family screwed over a future Hall of Fame quarterback when all he wanted to do was retire as a Colt...again. The difference is, Peyton Manning, if his neck and overall health holds up, can do something to say, "bad call, Colts" where Johnny Unitas didn't have the chance to. Good luck to Peyton wherever he goes (just don't go to a AFC West team, unless it is Oakland...lol). We will see you in Canton soon enough.
This did not have to happen. If the Colts (meaning Irsay and Polian and so on, not really the coach, since on this team, it was not his call) had used more of their money (for free agents) and draft picks (even late round ones) to get a decent backup QB (especially) and RB and so on and got Manning to take a little less money to help re-sign important players on both sides of the ball, this situation would never have happened. True, if that had happened, and Manning had still missed 2011, the Colts may still have had a top-5 pick and drafted a great player for the future (probably not Luck, but maybe even RGIII, for example) and still have Manning to groom and teach and finish his career as a Colt, as it should have been.
True, Manning could have given a hometown discount (maybe he did?) in his contracts after his rookie deal as a Number One overall pick, but the Colts had to be smart with ALL of their personnel choices and they weren't. Instead the Polian family screwed over a future Hall of Fame quarterback when all he wanted to do was retire as a Colt...again. The difference is, Peyton Manning, if his neck and overall health holds up, can do something to say, "bad call, Colts" where Johnny Unitas didn't have the chance to. Good luck to Peyton wherever he goes (just don't go to a AFC West team, unless it is Oakland...lol). We will see you in Canton soon enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment