Peyton Manning Released By Colts

The wheels are turning. As expected Peyton Manning was released today by the Indianapolis Colts. Really, this should come as a surprise to no one. I know that for months there was so much speculation as to how this was going to play out. As recently as last week, there were some very well respected people in the media who (just to be different?) were speculating that Manning and owner Jim Irsay would find a way to somehow work out their differences, clearing a path for Manning to remain with the Colts. This was just sentimental wishful thinking, a Hail Mary, if you will.  But most Hail Mary's usually go unanswered and this one was no different.

I have to say that the speculation as to where he might end up was pretty good fodder for the sports media and professional sports pundits but I never once believed that Manning was going to return to Indianapolis. It was just common sense. To me, he was gone the day Irsay fired GM Bill Polian and his son Chris on January 2nd. And if there was any doubt at that time, certainly there should have been no doubt when Irsay fired coach Jim Caldwell two weeks later.

With the first pick of the draft and QB Andrew Luck sitting there as the "next great one", it was clear that the Colts had already made the decision to move in a different direction. So with the team gutted and a new coach and GM in place, was Irsay really going to do an about face and sign Manning? It would have made no sense. And, after 14 years, was Manning really going to sign on the cheap and play for incentives while babysitting a bunch of kids while the team rebuilds? Not likely, but we'll never know.

I think when it was all said and done, both sides realized that the best thing for Peyton Manning was to move on. So the question is where does Manning go? I have read that he wants to sign before March 13th, the first day of free agency, but I don't see that happening either. He's going to need more time to decide.

Having said that, the front runners appear to be the Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. The Texans are on the verge of becoming legitimate super bowl contenders. So they would be a perfect fit for Manning, but would the Texans feel the same way? Matt Schaub is a rising star who has already demonstrated that he is a top rated quarterback. So the question for the Texans is whether they are enamored enough with Manning to toss Schaub aside. I'm guessing that while their curiosity might be piqued, their answer will be no and they're going to pass on Manning.

The 49ers are another team that is right there, knocking on the door. But Jim Harbaugh has spent a tremendous amount of time and effort rebuilding Alex Smith's confidence and has publicly stated numerous times that Smith is the 49ers quarterback now and in the future. That and the fact that Smith just took the 49ers to the brink of the super bowl makes it really tough to cast him aside even for someone such as Manning, whose ability if not health is still somewhat in question.

So that leaves Denver, Arizona and Miami. The Broncos have Tebow and the Dolphins have no one. In other words, Denver is a possibility. As popular and iconic figure Tebow has becone, I don't think management would have any trouble appeasing their fans that acquiring Manning is the right decision. I think most people understand that Tebow is more a novelty or gimmick than a legitamate NFL quarterback with a future. It's just a matter of time before the rest of the league catches up to him (anyone remember the no huddle or wildcat offense?). I know that Manning has a home in Florida but the Dolphins were 6-10 last season and they need a lot of help. 'Nough said.

The Arizona Cardinals is where I think Manning will end up. Why? There are many good reasons but the top two are Larry and Fitzgerald. I don't need to go into detail as to what type numbers he might put up if Manning were throwing to him. I think most people would agree that Manning makes everyone around him much better. The Cardinals would easily win 10 or 11 games with Manning and getting to the super bowl (they did it just a few years ago with Kurt Warner) would hardly be a stretch of the imagination. But if the Cardinals want to bring Manning to the desert, they are going to have to act quickly. Kevin Kolb, who they were so high on this past year (they gave up highly regarded Dominique Rodgers Cromartie and a 2012 second round draft pick to acquire him) would have to go. There is no way they can keep the both of them as Kolb is scheduled to make $7 million dollars if he is still on the team by March 15th.

Ahhh, the wheels are turning.