Peyton Manning's Future- By Ryan J. Murphy

Peyton Manning wearing possible uniforms for 2012

So as you all probably know by now, there is a lot of drama surrounding Peyton Manning and his future. After his 3, and apparently now 4, neck surgeries, he was unable to play in this year’s NFL season. Without his presence on the field, the Indianapolis Colts fell to the NFL’s worse record, 2-14, and now have the first pick in the NFL draft. It has been stated for the past few months that the Colts will use their first pick to draft Stanford quarterback, Andrew Luck. So… the Colts have a decision to make. Do they draft Luck, and keep Manning, which will amount to around $50 million, paying 2 quarterbacks? Do they pass on drafting Andrew Luck, in hopes that Manning is 100% healthy to play next year? Peyton Manning’s doctors have deemed that he is healthy enough to play football, while others claim he can’t even grip a football. This puts the Colts in a very risky predicament. Or finally, do the Colts draft Luck, and cut their long time franchise quarterback Peyton Manning?

In my opinion, the answer is simple. Plan for the future. You have to part ways with Manning, start fresh, and build around the #1 draft pick Andrew Luck. This is the scenario that is most likely to happen, meaning Peyton Manning is without a team for the 2012 season. There are many teams in the NFL that are in dire need of an answer at the quarterback position. The 35-year-old Manning could still put in another good 3 years or so, assuming he is healthy. Manning said he’d like to retire as a Colt, but again, it’s very unlikely to happen. So… that being said, whom does he sign with in 2012? Teams like the Jets, 49ers, Seahawks, and Browns are all possibilities, but not very logical. Many New York Jets fans would love to see Manning replace current QB Mark Sanchez. This would mean we would get to see Peyton Manning and the Jets play Tom Brady and the Patriots at least twice a season. This would also mean Peyton and Eli Manning would share the big bad city, which would be quite a story, although I don’t see the Jets taking a chance on Manning, after the Brett Favre debacle a few years ago. This leaves 3 more realistic options. The Miami Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Washington Redskins. The Dolphins just signed former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, to be their head coach. I believe Matt Flynn, the Packers back-up QB, will sign a contract with Miami. This leaves the Redskins and Cardinals. I think the Redskins will look at signing Flynn, but ultimately end up drafting Robert Griffin III, in the NFL draft in April. That leaves one team, the Cardinals. If Manning does join the Cardinals, he’ll find a familiar face there, because they hired Manning’s old quarterbacks coach, Frank Reich. Imagine Peyton Manning throwing the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, one of the top receivers in the NFL today. In my eyes, this is the most realistic fit for Peyton. Although I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up in Washington or Miami, I think it’ll be with the Arizona Cardinals.

What do you think the Colts should do? Should they keep Peyton Manning? Or should they draft Andrew Luck, and cut Manning? If the Colts do cut Manning, what city do you think he’ll end up playing in during the 2012 NFL season?