Teams Keeping Close Eye On Peyton Manning
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Every Miami Dolphins fans knows the team is in the market for a quarterback again this offseason. Now, the situation surrounding one of the best in history is starting to quickly unravel and could mean he may be an option for the Fins.
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning gave an interview earlier this week in which he had deep concerns over the future of the Indianapolis Colts. Manning said he wasn't sure about the atmosphere that had been created in Indianapolis with the massive turnover in coaching.
Colts owner Jim Irsay was none too pleased with Manning airing out the comments and said problems like that should have been handled in house.
It's setting the stage for the two sides to come to a mutual agreement to sever ties with each other before Manning is due a roughly $28 million roster bonus for the coming 2012 season. But, it's not that simple with Manning.
Peyton missed the entire 2011 campaign after having to undergo surgery that was meant to try to stimulate nerves going to his triceps muscle into growing again. However, there is no recovery schedule from the surgery, and no doctor really knows how, or if, Manning will ever recover.
Assuming Manning does recover to return to the field, he will be 36-years-old and has thrown more than 7,000 passes for more than 54,000 yards. But, for a team like Miami, which is desperate for a quarterback, Manning could become an attractive option.
If the situation in Indianapolis continues to turn uglier, then the Colts will likely cut Manning loose to focus on rebuilding with the number one overall pick, quarterback Andrew Luck.
Manning would have earned $28 million this season, meaning any team that wanted to sign him to a two-year contract would likely have to cough up in the neighborhood of $50 million.
But, it's still too early to say if Manning will leave the Colts and if he will ever be able to play again.
Until then, Dolphins fans will hope for the best on both fronts and hope that finally, the Fins will at least have a big name quarterback to push the ball down the field.
Also remember, it was Carl Peterson, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross' adviser, who one day years ago traded for an aging quarterback that one team gave up on named Joe Montana.
