137 replies to this topic

[Daubach for HOF]

Doesn't tell anything about where he might play, but since we don't have to worry about him coming here, the Manning-face transposed onto every team's logo was actually pretty funny: http://daveartlocker...nning-face.html
(personal favorite was the Dolphins)

[dcmissle]

Irsay was right. Peyton is a politician. Someone in the Manning camp leaking that he's interested in the Texans, http://profootballta...texans/related/.

Which is the equivalent of trying to break a finger at the bottom of a pile. I'm ok with it, just not with the brand positioning to maintain the squeaky clean image.

Houston is not that stupid. People in Washington DC -- even Joey Sunshine (Theisman) -- are begging Daniel Snyder not to be this stupid.

[Shelterdog]

Irsay was right. Peyton is a politician. Someone in the Manning camp leaking that he's interested in the Texans, http://profootballta...texans/related/.

Which is the equivalent of trying to break a finger at the bottom of a pile. I'm ok with it, just not with the brand positioning to maintain the squeaky clean image.

Houston is not that stupid. People in Washington DC -- even Joey Sunshine (Theisman) -- are begging Daniel Snyder not to be this stupid.

Two things that are interesting about Houston

* They're a divisional rival so of course this puts the most pressure on the Colts. (I'm sure this is why team Peyton leaked this)

* They're a better fit then you'd think. Schaub is almost 31 and a free agent after this season. If Peyton is healthy do you go for 3 years of Peyton or 5-7 years of Schaub?

[dcmissle]

Two things that are interesting about Houston

* They're a divisional rival so of course this puts the most pressure on the Colts. (I'm sure this is why team Peyton leaked this)

* They're a better fit then you'd think. Schaub is almost 31 and a free agent after this season. If Peyton is healthy do you go for 3 years of Peyton or 5-7 years of Schaub?

IF ...

The fit is much more sensible than in Washington because if they get a healthy Peyton for 3 years, then Houston becomes a monster -- even if you assume that the Texans have the same kind of assimilation problems that troubled the Eagles this year (and the Miami Heat last year).

But if Peyton never gets his arm strength back (and when does that get sorted out?) or if he takes a big hit and exacerbates this neck thing, then you could argue that they have flushed very solid chances with Schaub.

Is it plausible that they would get Peyton and keep Schaub for a year? That would seem to be a tough sell with a high price -- they'd probably get something nice in return for Schaub if they dealt him.

[Shelterdog]

IF ...

The fit is much more sensible than in Washington because if they get a healthy Peyton for 3 years, then Houston becomes a monster -- even if you assume that the Texans have the same kind of assimilation problems that troubled the Eagles this year (and the Miami Heat last year).

But if Peyton never gets his arm strength back (and when does that get sorted out?) or if he takes a big hit and exacerbates this neck thing, then you could argue that they have flushed very solid chances with Schaub.

Is it plausible that they would get Peyton and keep Schaub for a year? That would seem to be a tough sell with a high price -- they'd probably get something nice in return for Schaub if they dealt him.

It's pure fanwankery to think about it-between Peyton's health and Houston's cap issues it's just incredibly hard to pull off. But at least Houston makes some sense as a destination (good line, good defense, dome, weak division, no QB under contract in 2012, a coach and a gm that really need a big year to keep their jobs).

I can't imagine that Schaub or Peyton would be happy coexisting

[soxfan121]

Yep, no coincidence that the only team in the AFC South that is competitive was the one Peyton's leakers mentioned. He'd want revenge, he'd want to tweak the Colts - but he wouldn't stoop to playing in Jacksonville. What sane person would?

If Cutler weren't entrenched in Chicago, that would be my best guess at the next place Peyton's leakers mention, as it would inflame the inferiority complex of Indiana against their larger neighbor.

Instead, I'll go with "there's always been an allure to San Francisco. Peyton really respects their history as an organization."

[maufman]

What is Manning hoping to achieve with these leaks? The Colts won't pay $28mm to keep him from signing with Houston.

He's going to be cut. Then, he's going to have to decide whether to continue his career. If he chooses to continue, and if he's healthy, he's going to have to balance his desire to get paid against his desire to win another ring. The Texans and Jets offer terrific situations, but neither can pay the market rate for a healthy Manning. The Jaguars and Chiefs can meet Manning's monetary demands, but neither would be a sure-fire Super Bowl favorite even with Manning in pre-injury form.

[soxfan121]

Manning doesn't want to leave Indy - he wants his $28M. Every leak is to put pressure on Irsay to pay the bonus.

Which makes total sense if Manning knows his neck is fubar and he can't play. He wants the money they promised him AFTER they already knew his neck required more than one surgery. Had this deal pre-dated the injury, I could understand if the team was pissed about how this has all gone down - but since they knew, and signed him anyway, and agreed to the ridiculous bonus, I support Manning in his quest to drain every drop he can from Irsay.

Irsay has to pay $28M or let the best player his franchise will ever have make goo-goo eyes at division rivals because IRSAY agreed to this contract after he knew Manning's neck was a problem. I have zero sympathy for Irsay; he made this bed. Now he either has to set it on fire or lay down and take it.

[Shelterdog]

Manning doesn't want to leave Indy - he wants his $28M. Every leak is to put pressure on Irsay to pay the bonus.

I think so. I think Peyton is hoping that he can keep his current contract because he might not get the same contract if he hits the free market.

I'd be curious to see if he could delay the roster bonus until later in the year so Indy could trade him to another team that would pay the roster bonus and Indy doesn't take the godawful cap hit.

[moly99]

I don't understand why Irsay is dragging this out. The only plausible reason is that he is hoping Manning will go on a Favrian legacy tainting spree, which would help Colts fans move on. But that seems very unlikely; Favre had issues that occasionally reached the public long before 2008.

Is it possible that Irsay is really willing to bring Manning back if he shows he is healthy?

[E5 Yaz]

I don't understand why Irsay is dragging this out.

Irsay says on Twitter, a half-hour ago, that news is happening. Might not be Peyton, who knows

http://twitter.com/#!/jimirsay

[tims4wins]

Irsay says on Twitter, a half-hour ago, that news is happening. Might not be Peyton, who knows

http://twitter.com/#!/jimirsay

They announced their coaching staff 14 minutes ago...

http://www.colts.com...98-97191199f090

[Dogman2]

I think so. I think Peyton is hoping that he can keep his current contract because he might not get the same contract if he hits the free market.

I'd be curious to see if he could delay the roster bonus until later in the year so Indy could trade him to another team that would pay the roster bonus and Indy doesn't take the godawful cap hit.

I'm not sure any team can take the roster bonus hit of that much money. Put another way, why in hell would they?

[E5 Yaz]

They announced their coaching staff 14 minutes ago...

http://www.colts.com...98-97191199f090

oh well

[soxfan121]

I think so. I think Peyton is hoping that he can keep his current contract because he might not get the same contract if he hits the free market.

I'd be curious to see if he could delay the roster bonus until later in the year so Indy could trade him to another team that would pay the roster bonus and Indy doesn't take the godawful cap hit.

1. There is no way he'd get $28M guaranteed in a FA contract - not from Miami, not from Tampa, not from Washington, not from anyone. Peyton's next contract is heavy on incentives (games played, TDs, etc.) and low on guarantees. For a guy with a broken neck and nerve damage, "incentives" is not enough to get a sane man back on the field. But $28M? That's fuck you, I'm going to Barbados money.

2. No chance. Peyton knows his condition - and I buy the rumors that he has no arm strength and can't throw to his left - and Peyton knows that delaying the bonus payment only makes it easier for the Colts to cut him after the league year starts. That would help the Colts cap situation - but why, exactly, would Peyton agree to help the owner who is "driving him out of town"?

Plus, every team is looking to resolve their QB situation no later than the Draft. In all probability, every team will have their "plan in place" by the end of the draft and that would leave Peyton dangling.

Peyton and his agent played this PERFECTLY - the Colts have to pay the money and takes their chances OR they have to cut their best player and alienate the fans. Peyton can't lose here and Irsay has to choose between two shit-covered sticks to grasp.

ETA: IIRC, Clyde Christensen is one of Peyton's bubbies. That he was retained by Pagano might mean something. Otherwise, why retain a QB coach who last year couldn't coach QB?

Edited by soxfan121, 14 February 2012 - 04:37 PM.

[tims4wins]

Peyton and his agent played this PERFECTLY - the Colts have to pay the money and takes their chances OR they have to cut their best player and alienate the fans. Peyton can't lose here and Irsay has to choose between two shit-covered sticks to grasp.

I don't disagree, but if the Colts cut him, while their fans will be upset when it happens, if it turns out that Peyton never plays again then the fans won't have anything against the team come opening day.

[Shelterdog]

1. There is no way he'd get $28M guaranteed in a FA contract - not from Miami, not from Tampa, not from Washington, not from anyone. Peyton's next contract is heavy on incentives (games played, TDs, etc.) and low on guarantees. For a guy with a broken neck and nerve damage, "incentives" is not enough to get a sane man back on the field. But $28M? That's fuck you, I'm going to Barbados money.

2. No chance. Peyton knows his condition - and I buy the rumors that he has no arm strength and can't throw to his left - and Peyton knows that delaying the bonus payment only makes it easier for the Colts to cut him after the league year starts. That would help the Colts cap situation - but why, exactly, would Peyton agree to help the owner who is "driving him out of town"?

Plus, every team is looking to resolve their QB situation no later than the Draft. In all probability, every team will have their "plan in place" by the end of the draft and that would leave Peyton dangling.

Peyton and his agent played this PERFECTLY - the Colts have to pay the money and takes their chances OR they have to cut their best player and alienate the fans. Peyton can't lose here and Irsay has to choose between two shit-covered sticks to grasp.

ETA: IIRC, Clyde Christensen is one of Peyton's bubbies. That he was retained by Pagano might mean something. Otherwise, why retain a QB coach who last year couldn't coach QB?

I don't think I'm being clear, and this is all contingent on the idea that he's healthy.

What I imagine Peyton and his agents are trying to arrange is a deal where Peyton, the Colts, and mystery team X all agree that the bonus is going to be delayed a while, with a firm understanding that the Colts trade Peyton to team X after the league year starts but before the bonus is due.

The Colts take a $16 million hit on his initial signing bonus, which they're going to take anyhow if the cut him. They also get some kind of draft pick comp which they don't get if they cut him. They also got some control over where he goes, like not to a divisional rival, not to somebody they play next year, and hopefully to the NFC..

Team X pays Peyton his $28 million or some large portion thereof and is on the hook for the rest of the deal under the cap. They get Peyton and maybe they're paying more than they would on the free market, but then who knows what happens in free agency with a guy like Peyton and lots of teams with $40 million of cap space and more.

Peyton gets some or all of his money under his deal.

I'm not sure it's even legal under the rules though.

[Dick Pole Upside]

Irsay to Manning: "Hey Goober... I got your Texans right here."

http://www.indystar....xt|IndyStar.com

[soxfan121]

Irsay to Manning: "Hey Goober... I got your Texans right here."

http://www.indystar....xt|IndyStar.com

So Irsay doesn't want to honor a contract he negotiated and signed after knowing Manning had already had multiple surgeries? Instead, he's going to offer Manning pennies on the dollar and then try to claim it was Peyton's decision to leave?

Yeah, not buying it. Kravitz is wrong; this is, and always has been, Irsay's fuck up. Trying to spin this as Peyton's fuck up, at 11:59, isn't going to work. Peyton & his agent will emerge from that meeting and issue a statement that says, "Jim Irsay today claims to have Peyton Manning's & the Colts best interests in mind but he is lying. The truth is Peyton will play in 2012 and he expects the Colts to either honor the deal they signed 9 months ago OR grant him his unconditional release. The Colts will make this decision - Peyton wants to be here, in Indianapolis and it is up to Jim Irsay to decide whether that happens."

[Dick Pole Upside]

I'm not interpreting this quite the same way. I completely agree that this is Irsay's issue to deal with. Since the "Peyton's a politician" comment from Irsay during SB week, it has been a pretty consistent back and forth of leaks and silly statements. I believe that Irsay has asked Manning for a cease fire, but Manning continues to leak these stupid comments. In retaliation, Irsay is (quite deliberately) responding to each attempt by Peyton to establish the high ground and shape the national dialogue about how "he should be treated better". Manning leaks the comment about the Texans, and *boom* we get a same day response.

Of course this is an attempt to force Manning's hand. I still think Irsay will cut him. Whether or not Manning feels dissed, Irsay knows he will have to take the heat.

The one area where I differ from your perspective is through the assertion that Irsay is not somehow "honoring" the deal by cutting Manning. The terms of the negotiated deal included a time by which the option has to be picked up. There is nothing that says this is required, ergo Irsay has every right to cut him. If he cuts him, he is also "honoring the deal" by exercising his rights under the agreement. As far as we know, no one is trying to "get out of this".

Irsay has gone on record saying he won't trade Manning. He has maintained that Manning will stay, or he will be cut free to negotiate his own deal.

It'll all be over with in the next couple of weeks anyway.

[soxfan121]

From Don Banks at SI.com:

Irsay said he does not believe Manning has ever intended to force the issue of the $28 million option bonus being paid before he has proven he'll be healthy enough to play next season. By picking up the option bonus, the Colts would be committing more than $35 million in compensation to Manning this year, including his $7.4 million base salary. That after the Colts paid him about $26 million in 2011, with him missing the entire season.

"That's the last he'd want to do for this team, put us in that kind of salary cap situation,'' Irsay said.

Jim Irsay is so full of shit. Irsay offered that contract AFTER he knew Manning was injured and had multiple surgeries. Peyton did NOT "put the team in that kind of salary cap situation", Jim - you did. You, Jim Irsay, signed that salary-cap-killing deal, knowing he was injured. Now you, Jim Irsay, want to weasel out of the deal. YOU.

Like father like son - dipshit runs in the Irsay family.

[bakahump]

I am by no means a cap expert....but how can this work?

Peyton is owed 28 million in Bonus and another 7 million in Salary for 2012.

I presume in '13 an '14 is owed a similar combination that equates to @15 million per year. (my numbers may be off..... He signed @90 million over 4 years [2011,12,13,14] he made @30 last year.....and is due 37 Million this year leaving a balance of about 30 million for 2013 and 14....but you get the idea)

Peyton cant rip up the 75 million he is still owed can he? The NFLPA wont let that happen (similar to ARod trying to rip up his contract to come to boston).
He can only delay the 75 million over longer years (say from the current 3 years to a longer 5 year contract) receiving some form of Bonus and salary over all 5 years. UNLESS he is "released" by not paying his bonus.

If he delays it (say over 5 more years) thats still 15 million per year plus the "salary" for the additional 2 years. I assume Peyton could do league minimum over those last 2 years but it seems unlikely he would do the colts any favors....especially after the last couple weeks.

Meanwhile Luck will be making his own large chunk of change and impacting the Colts salary cap. Plus by year 2,3 or 4 (and definitely by 5)he is probably starting over an old, hobbled Peyton.

So is the only way this works:
1. The Colts decline the option (making Peyton a FA)
2. Peyton declines to talk to other teams/ DOESNT make this about the money (because other teams could pay more)
3. He re-signs with the Colts for 10 million this year and next. (or some such number) Knowing he is a place holder.
4. Colts Draft Luck


I am having trouble figuring out why Peyton does any of that?

Irsay seems like he is trying to convince the world that Peyton should(could?) say "yea...forget the money till you know I am good". Even if so inclined wouldnt the NFLPA put up a giant stink?

Edited by bakahump, 15 February 2012 - 01:27 PM.

[Shelterdog]

I am by no means a cap expert....but how can this work?

I'm not sure I understand your question, but I think the answer is that (because NFL contracts are largely non-guaranteed) if the Colts cut Manning tomorrow he's a free agent and they owe him peanuts (it may be that they literally don't owe him another dime).

All the statements by both sides are just attempts to win a PR battle in Indy.

[bakahump]

Understood Shelter.

They cut him Pay him no more money and now he can re-sign for anything with anyone. Which probably means...Not the Colts.

I guess the question is...

Irsay seems to be insinuating that Peyton can delay the "bonus", the Colts can retain his rights and they can renegotiate (potentially) better terms for the Colts as a team.

Seems like the NFL PA would freak the f*ck out at such a development. Wouldnt they???

The Colts either extend him....making his yearly (bonus and Salary) compensation over the next 3 years spread out over a longer period of time but KEEPING THE SAME EXISTING VALUE + Compensation for 2 more years.

Or they cut him and allow him potentially to sign with another team. Losing the ability to solely negotiate.

NFLPA wont let Peyton Rip up his contract and negotiate lesser terms because he might feel bad or because Irsay thinks "its the thing to do".


Forgetting Peyton (and to simplify ...for me as much as you)

Assume you have a guy signed for
1 million Bonus and 1 million salary in 2012
1 million Bonus and 1 million salary in 2013
1 Million Salary in 2014

His contract is worth 5 million over 5 years. (Obviously he can be cut....and becomes a FA)

He gets injured and you decide that the 2012 compensation (Bonus and Salary) is too much.

You ask the player to renegotiate the contract because "you really want him to retire with your team".

The NFL PA wont let you renegotiate a contract to 100k bonus and 1 million dollar salary to prove he is healthy UNLESS that 900K shows up somewhere else.

So lets say you renegotiate
100k Bonus 1 million Salary in 2012 (-900K)
1.5 Million Bonus 1 Million Salary in 2013 (+500K)
400k Bonus 1 Million Salary in 2014 (+400K)


Player still gets 5 million over 5 years. NFL PA is happy because Value hasn't changed.

You cant renegotiate to 2 million over 2 years. Because the total Value HAS Changed.

What you can do is.. Cut him (in our example by not paying him his 1 million dollar 2012 bonus) and then creating a TOTALLY NEW contract for (probably) significantly less money.

In our scenario that is a good deal for the team and shitty for the player. In real Peyton life thats a good deal for the Colts and shitty for Manning.

So in real life....WHY would Peyton do that?

If you dont create a New Contract but rather Renegotiate the existing one by moving money owed now to money owed later....that still hamstrings the Colts.

Edited by bakahump, 15 February 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[Shelterdog]

Understood Shelter.

They cut him Pay him no more money and now he can re-sign for anything with anyone. Which probably means...Not the Colts.

I guess the question is...

Irsay seems to be insinuating that Peyton can delay the "bonus", the Colts can retain his rights and they can renegotiate (potentially) better terms for the Colts as a team.

The answer to all of this is that Irsay isn't really trying to keep Peyton, he's 95% trying to save face and 5% hoping that Peyton cares so much about staying in Indy that Peyton does something stupid financially.

[jsinger121]

Peyton had a 4th neck surgery that went unreported and more troubling details about him per Don Banks.

http://sportsillustr...ef=twitter_feed

[Bernie Carbohydrate]

If Irsay gets really annoyed at Peyton he could pick up the bonus, draft Luck anyway, and let Peyton spend the 2012 season getting sacked to death behind that weak Indy OL. Every time an LB blows past Castonzo, Diem, and whatever other scrap-heap linemen the Colts play next year Irsay can shrug his shoulder and talk about how he can't improve the line given Peyton's cap hit.

Meanwhile Luck is toting a clipboard and learning the offense.

It is worth 28 million to Irsay to watch Peyton get abused every Sunday? I don't know. It might be to me.

Edited by Bernie Carbohydrate, 15 February 2012 - 02:30 PM.

[soxfan121]

Peyton had a 4th neck surgery that went unreported and more troubling details about him per Don Banks.

http://sportsillustr...ef=twitter_feed

Unreported - not unknown. There's no allegation - veiled or explicit - that Manning withheld the information from the Colts or their doctors - just that it was not "reported".

First, that leak can only come from one place. Jim Irsay.
Second, it does nothing to invalidate the fact that Jim Irsay signed a guy who had "multiple" neck surgeries to a contract that paid him in excess of $60M over two years.
Third, it does make me question even more what the hell the Colts were thinking when Irsay signed this deal last August. It's one of the most inexplicable things I've ever seen in sports.
Fourth, the news that Manning will require future treatment is not "breaking" - if you know anyone with back or neck problems, you know it always requires more work at a later date.

Peyton isn't going to blink, although Irsay is trying his hardest, because Peyton knows Peyton is DONE. So squeezing some more money out of Irsay - who's been an absolute dipshit throughout this whole ordeal - is the goal. Peyton will, later today, leak a story about how the Colts doctors knew all along about the 4th surgery and he's "considering his legal options" about the disclosure of private medical information in an effort to "smear" him before the bonus is due.

The Colts won't pay the bonus, but Peyton's got a 5% chance at getting Irsay so screwed up and over that Irsay pays the $28M bonus - and then Peyton hangs it up in July and laughs all the way to Canton.

Edited by soxfan121, 15 February 2012 - 02:49 PM.

[dcmissle]

Peyton had a 4th neck surgery that went unreported and more troubling details about him per Don Banks.

http://sportsillustr...ef=twitter_feed

Wow. Must reading, friends.

The workout for the late season *cameo* appearance and all that surrounded it is otherwordly. I have paid to watch it, and especially to have seen the expression on Polian's face.

[tims4wins]

I'm at the point of being 99.999999% convinced that Peyton will never play NFL football again. If the Colts know this, and they cut him, and Peyton never plays again... will Irsay / the Colts really look like the "bad guys"? They'll look incredibly dumb for signing him last August, but going 2-14 and getting Luck with the #1 pick makes that kind of moot.

[ivanvamp]

Yep, no coincidence that the only team in the AFC South that is competitive was the one Peyton's leakers mentioned. He'd want revenge, he'd want to tweak the Colts - but he wouldn't stoop to playing in Jacksonville. What sane person would?

Other than Jacksonville not being a good place to live (I guess...I've never been there), what would be bad about him going there?

- They have a really good defense (#11 in the NFL in yards allowed, #6 in the NFL in points allowed).
- They have a great running game (MJD ran for 1600+ yards).

Ok, they don't have good receivers and their QB was awful this past year. But hasn't Peyton proved that he can turn average guys into pretty good receivers? Look what he did with Garcon, Collie, etc.

The Jags have $45 million in cap space (see: http://espn.go.com/n...ap-room-improve). They could sign Peyton for $15 million (probably), sign Wayne for $7 million, and still have $23 million left over. Add a second receiver like Early Doucet or -haha- Pierre Garcon for another $5 million, and they'd still have $18 million left over. Plus they are in good draft position.

So with their cap space, they could instantly upgrade their QB (big time, assuming Peyton is healthy) and WR corps. They could add very good players in the draft (#7 spot in the draft), they already have a good defense and an absolutely dynamic running back.

I'm not saying it automatically makes Jacksonville the Super Bowl favorite, but they'd go from bad to pretty damned dangerous in the blink of an eye. Plus, from Peyton's point of view, he'd be in the AFC South, playing in good weather, with a chance to stick it to Indy 2x a year.

[soxfan121]

t4w, it depends. It's how the exit is handled that affects fan opinion - the end result is rarely as important as the process. It's the difference between walking him to the door with a handshake and a pat on the back and kicking him in the ass and slamming the door. Option A is clearly out of the running at this point. The constant bickering and leaks are not helping the Colts & Irsay be seen as anything other than the guys who kicked Peyton in the ass and slammed the door on him.

Look, I'm not suggesting that the Colts had much of a choice, given how it has all played out. The correct thing for the Colts to do, in retrospect, was to offer Manning unlimited use of the training facility while he rehabbed from his multiple surgeries with a public promise to "sign him as soon as he's capable of playing again". Peyton could have stormed off in a huff last August but no other NFL team would have signed him and the Colts wouldn't have lit $35M on fire and flushed it down the toilet in 2011. Or, if they had to sign him, make it a one year deal for $35M "in honor of his contributions to the franchise and in faith that he will work hard to return", with the bonus payable AFTER the league year.

It was the Colts decision to sign off on the contract that paid him $35M in 2011, when everyone at the table knew he was unlikely to play, and date the bonus for before the start of the league year. Had they (Irsay/Polian - whichever mental midget agreed to this contract) insisted that the bonus be payable in July of 2012, this would not be happening.

The real issue here is not Manning's neck, which everyone involved knew was fucked up, but the terms and conditions of the contract they gave him while knowing he was unlikely to play in 2011 and the timing of the bonus. It was inexcusably, horribly stupid and it cannot be repeated enough - Jim Irsay agreed to this. He is reaping what he has sown.

[tims4wins]

t4w, it depends. It's how the exit is handled that affects fan opinion - the end result is rarely as important as the process. It's the difference between walking him to the door with a handshake and a pat on the back and kicking him in the ass and slamming the door. Option A is clearly out of the running at this point. The constant bickering and leaks are not helping the Colts & Irsay be seen as anything other than the guys who kicked Peyton in the ass and slammed the door on him.

I agree with almost everything in your post, but want to respond to this. Fans are fickle, and we live in a world defined by "what have you done for me lately". If the Colts cut Peyton, and he retires, come training camp all Colts fans will care about is how Andrew Luck is progressing. Sure, they will reminisce about the good ole days with Peyton, and say that the Colts should have handled it better, but they'll be over it really really quickly so long as Peyton isn't playing for another team in September.

I know it's not a perfect comparison, but think back to Lawyer Milloy in 2003. Pats fans were pissed when he was released, especially at Belichick, and even more pissed when the Bills railed the Pats 31-0 and Milloy was flying around the field. 2 months later, the Pats had a 6-2 record, and 3 months after that they were hoisting the Lombardi and Lawyer Milloy was never mentioned. I don't think Pats fans held that decision over Belichick for more than a month.

Obviously, Peyton is a better and more popular player than Milloy, and Milloy's health wasn't a question, but the point of the comparison is to show that fans move on, quickly.

[Shelterdog]

You guys are really cynical. I've got to think that Peyton honestly believes he's going to play again and he's just trying to maximize his contract; I can't believe that he knows he's cooked but he's just trying to get the $28 million before riding into the sunset.

[dcmissle]

Unless Peyton thinks he really can muscle Irsay into paying the $28, which seems doubtful to me, he'd be better off laying low and keeping a lid on it. I don't believe it's at all coincidental that the recent stuff started dribbling out after somebody in the Manning camp played the Houston card. Any team taking its due diligence seriously should find out everything there is to know. But some teams don't take their due diligence very seriously -- Redskins/Haynesworth -- and this drama is not helping Peyton's potential bargaining situation with them.

Edited by dcmissle, 15 February 2012 - 05:54 PM.

[Saints Rest]

If Peyton knows he's not going to play anymore, might all of this hullabaloo be part of negotiating a retirement buyout?

[soxfan121]

If Peyton knows he's not going to play anymore, might all of this hullabaloo be part of negotiating a retirement buyout?

Its what I've been arguing for weeks.

[Rough Carrigan]

You guys are really cynical. I've got to think that Peyton honestly believes he's going to play again and he's just trying to maximize his contract; I can't believe that he knows he's cooked but he's just trying to get the $28 million before riding into the sunset.

Yeah, it's not like he's been a whore for endorsement money all his career despite making a top NFL salary. It's not like he's gone after everything but the fillings in fans' teeth.

And no athlete would take money without intending to play.
Sincerely,
Ty Poole and Curt Schilling