Now that Super Bowl XLVI is in the books, the cottage industry that will spring up in virtual shops all across the Internets will be articles titled, 'Peyton Manning Could Play In [Insert Franchise Here] Next Season.'
Feb 6, 2012 - Super Bowl XLVI is in the books, and Indianapolis is getting praised as one of the best host venues ever. While the city deserves the praise, and the New York Giants deserve the glory for winning their second Super Bowl in five years, the story that will dominate the NFL going forward is the status of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Actually, Peyton and the Colts was on everyone's minds during the lead-up to Super Bowl XLVI. Between Peyton's calculated press conferences and medical clearance leaks to the media coupled with Jim Irsay's penchant for late night Tweeting, the Super Bowl itself almost became an after thought.
Going forward, the cottage industry that will spring up in virtual shops all across the Internets will be articles titled, 'Peyton Manning Could Play In [Insert Franchise Here] Next Season.'
Hell, even before the Giants and Patriots kicked off, media were already fanning the flames. Barry Jackson from the Miami Herald posted an article detailing how Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is "infatuated" with signing Manning, and he hasn't even been cut yet. Websites, blogs, and newspapers all across the country will post similar stories, and for good reason.
Think about it: Roughly ten NFL teams have a true 'franchise' quarterback. For the other twenty-two clubs, the prospect of signing a potentially healthy Peyton Manning off the street is too tantalizing to ignore. If you are a news outlet that covers a team in need of a quarterback, or you report on NFL-related news, stories regarding the possible landing spot for the soon-to-likely-get-cut Peyton Manning will be virtual goldmines.
Just typing the name 'Peyton' in your story headline probably brings in 10,000 eyeballs to a site.
As for where Peyton could go when he is released, and all signs point to that happening, I shall provide a few suggests:
Mike Shanahan helped another injured, aging quarterback win a Super Bowl late in his career: John Elway in Denver back in the 90s. The Redskins defense is strong, and Shanahan is an offensive guru. However, the Redskins receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired, and it seems unlikely Peyton would want to play in the same division as his brother Eli.
The fact that Arizona has wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald locked up is a big selling point for any pitch play for Manning. Fitzgerald is, arguably, the best wide receiver in football. Peyton set NFL records when he had healthy receivers like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne in their heyday. Pairing Manning with Fitzgerald in a traditionally weak NFC West division seems criminal.
This is my personal pick. I think Denver is the best fit for Peyton. Denver's offensive line is solid. Their wide outs show promise. Their defense was lights out all season long. All they need is a tight end, and the team seems perfectly suited for Peyton. Head coach John Fox is a defensive-minded guy, and he will allow Peyton and coordinator Mike McKoy to craft and create the offense. McCoy has shown brilliant adaptability in the way he changed Denver's offense mid-season to suit quarterback Tim Tebow's limitations. With Peyton, they'll be able to open things up.
I understand that Tim Tebow is a fan favorite, and that Broncos general manager John Elway has already declared him the starter for training camp next year. However, Elway also said the team would be looking at the draft and free agency to add a quarterback.
"Well, right now as we look at it, we've got two quarterbacks under contract," Elway said, noting that practice squad QB Adam Weber signed a futures contract. "So, we've obviously got to be in the market to find some more quarterbacks."
You can take that statement to read anything you want. I take it as a suggestion that Elway will go Peyton hunting. Elway knows he isn't going to win a championship anytime soon with the horribly erratic Tebow. However, he has a rabid fanbase to contend with, and that fanbase will feed him to the lions if he benches the former Florida standout.
What better way to shut up the Tebow fanboy stupidity than signing a healthy Peyton Manning?
I fully realize that by posting three potential locations for Peyton to play in next year, I have set up my own little virtual shop in the 'Peyton Will Play HERE In 2012' cottage industry. Hey, if others are gonna get rich doing this, it only makes sense for us to jump in and get our share!
Also, it's not like we're ever going to write a story about Peyton playing for the Colts ever again, sad as that might be. In the end, the Colts need to move on to a "New Era" just as Peyton needs to move on to a new venue. What that new franchise will be is a subject just about everyone will discuss in the coming weeks.
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