Throwing #18 Under The Bus

[Smitto]

He does not want to retire, he wants to be the colts QB. How about we let him do that....

Well sometimes your body makes the decision for you, whether he wants to retire or not if his neck isnt healed by march 8th he should retire for his own sake.

What i dont get is didnt the doctors clear him for throwing???? if his neck isnt healed why would the clear him?..........

[Jaric]

he should be our starter until he is done playing.

Have you thought about the ramifications of keeping him on the roster and then not have him be able to play? That's pretty much the one scenario that cannot happen.

[Malakai432]

It's a pretty simple concept, noone is throwing Manning under the bus. I think if he's healthy, it's logical to keep him. If he's not 100%, then you don't. He's owed to much $ not to be 100% & the Colts have a chance to pick up a possible stud in Andrew Luck as well. Manning is my favorite player ever and yes it would be hard seeing him on another team, but I feel the organization will do what is in it's best interest whether Manning is still around or not.

Seems like some Manning fans want him to stay on the team even if he will miss another season for crying out loud, thus immensely handicapping the team. If people are more Manning fans than Colts fans anyways, why would you NOT want him to go to another team and possibly win the SB, opposed to stay on a team that seems to be in transition??? Why?? Maybe because they are slightly Colts fans???

[Jaric]

Well sometimes your body makes the decision for you, whether he wants to retire or not if his neck isnt healed by march 8th he should retire for his own sake.

What i dont get is didnt the doctors clear him for throwing???? if his neck isnt healed why would the clear him?..........

Well, there's throwing, and then there is throwing with 300lb angry men trying to hit you.

[King Colt]

Mainning is out!!!!!!!! 28 mil for 2011and now 26 more??? for 2012? Sentiment be darned. I want a winner and with all the firings and hireings there is no place for Manning. It's all about THE MONEY. Winning means money. #18 won one $%^&* Super Bowl. Brady has won three, going for #four with no defense, no running game, no wideouts,only two tight ends and half-assed offewnsive line protection. "Winnig is everything". "It's all about winning". These quotes sound familiar?

[Susie Q]

Mainning is out!!!!!!!! 28 mil for 2011and now 26 more??? for 2012? Sentiment be darned. I want a winner and with all the firings and hireings there is no place for Manning. It's all about THE MONEY. Winning means money. #18 won one $%^&* Super Bowl. Brady has won three, going for #four with no defense, no running game, no wideouts,only two tight ends and half-assed offewnsive line protection. "Winnig is everything". "It's all about winning". These quotes sound familiar?

How do you really feel?

[LUVTHESHOE]

I gotta say I am a little disappointed at how many people are so willing to just toss Peyton aside after all he did for this Franchise, Indianapolis, Indiana, and all of us Colts fans. I know the season sucked, i know there is no guarentee that he will be healthy. But i am almost sickened by people's readiness to just drop him off and walk away like he was on the practice squad.

I think you don't quite get what is going on here. I have only seen a very few people if any throwing him under the bus. Number 1 the guys health is a major issue, there are ZERO signs that he is even going to be able to play next year, so with that being said who is throwing him under the bus? sure not Jim Irsay, not the fans. Yes Peyton is upset with the changes, but they are all great changes and in most of our opinions, and yes it is a shame that we cannot freeze a healthy PM AT THE AGE OF 30.and he go on and play for the Colts forever, but this is not fantasy football and we can't. Myself and almost every other person on this site has admitted as J.I. has that this city owes PM alot and he has received alot in return. Keep in mind if PM was in perfect health and ready to go this would not be an issue,but the fact is that he is a 36 year old QB who has had 3 neck surgeries in 19 months, not turf toe! So in my opinion J.I. would be tick poor owner if was like most of us fans and jammed his head in the sand and pretended that PM will be here for the next 10 years playing at pro bowl levels. So with that being said I extend my gatitude to PM for all he as done and to J.i. for making the very tough decisions to get this franchise back where we all want it to be.

[Kyle]

Have you thought about the ramifications of keeping him on the roster and then not have him be able to play? That's pretty much the one scenario that cannot happen.

Well that would suck but would be pretty bad ramifications if Luck got hurt after we drafted him too.

[Jaric]

Well that would suck but would be pretty bad ramifications if Luck got hurt after we drafted him too.

That's true. However, Luck is currently healthy and not recovering from neck surgery with no real defined timeline for when that rehabbing should be completed. He also isn't in his late 30s and will only be making about a quarter of what Manning would be due should they keep him.

Peyton's career speaks for itself and Luck is a rookie. I think everyone gets that, but from a risk standpoint, Manning is by far the greater risk at this point in time.

[Kyle]

Well sometimes your body makes the decision for you, whether he wants to retire or not if his neck isnt healed by march 8th he should retire for his own sake.

What i dont get is didnt the doctors clear him for throwing???? if his neck isnt healed why would the clear him?..........

and what happens when he is cleared to play?

[Kyle]

That's true. However, Luck is currently healthy and not recovering from neck surgery with no real defined timeline for when that rehabbing should be completed. He also isn't in his late 30s and will only be making about a quarter of what Manning would be due should they keep him.

Peyton's career speaks for itself and Luck is a rookie. I think everyone gets that, but from a risk standpoint, Manning is by far the greater risk at this point in time.

well put.

[ColtsPacersfan]

No one is throwing Peyton under the bus. They are just being realistic here, with his health and then the millions of dollars that is coming up in March. Should we just pay him to make fans happy if he can't play? No we should not pay him, if he can't play and if he is not 100% what if he gets hurt again or worst? Or should we release him? Or will he retire as a Colt which I would love him to do. But the Million dollar question is his health and we won't know about it until March 8th. I have not seen anyone throwing Manning under the bus they have been realistic but not throwing him under the bus.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Personally I am sickened by the way the man is being treated. All of this hype surrounding some rookie is just ridiculous especially when there is a real proven megastar NFL quarterback on the roster rather than the latest media mirage.

[Kyle]

Personally I am sickened by the way the man is being treated. All of this hype surrounding some rookie is just ridiculous especially when there is a real proven megastar NFL quarterback on the roster rather than the latest media mirage.

^this^

[Portage Coltfans]

I gotta say I am a little disappointed at how many people are so willing to just toss Peyton aside after all he did for this Franchise, Indianapolis, Indiana, and all of us Colts fans. I know the season sucked, i know there is no guarentee that he will be healthy. But i am almost sickened by people's readiness to just drop him off and walk away like he was on the practice squad.

This is the opinion of probably 90% of Colts Nation, just ignore the people with 1000+ posts. They are all negative and hate emotional posts.

[Portage Coltfans]

I hope this ends with Peyton being willing to come back to IN (when he retires) on a regular basis and want to be involved with his fans from IN. He gave Indiana what it needed from the sports world and without him we would still be talking about Reggie miller and damon bailey

[Malakai432]

I hope this ends with Peyton being willing to come back to IN (when he retires) on a regular basis and want to be involved with his fans from IN. He gave Indiana what it needed from the sports world and without him we would still be talking about Reggie miller and damon bailey

Don't forget about Bobby Knight.

[Portage Coltfans]

Don't forget about Bobby Knight.

Can I leave him out, Bailey was enough... I graduated from Purdue. I think I'll add Brees to that list. He is a great role model now!

[Malakai432]

Can I leave him out, Bailey was enough... I graduated from Purdue. I think I'll add Brees to that list. He is a great role model now!

Hah, that's fine..... :cool:

[Jay305]

All of this over some kid named Andrew........

[IndyTrav]

Holy cow, at first I thought this was just a saying, but I now have visual proof that Peyton was thrown under the bus.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UndecidedFrog]

All of this over some kid named Andrew........

I disagree.

This has nothing to do with Andrew Luck.

Andrew Luck is not responsible for Peyton's injury.

Andrew Luck is not responsible for Peyton's 3 neck surgeries.

Andrew Luck is not responsible for Peyton's current contract and the bonus structure therein.

Andrew Luck is not responsible for whether or not Irsay releases Peyton due to health uncertainties.

Andrew Luck is not responsible for the salary cap hits that Peyton's contract will inflict on the team.

Andrew Luck is not responsible for the Colts going 2-14 this past season.

If Irsay releases Peyton by March 8, the Colts will be hunting for a replacement QB. If Andrew Luck was not in this year's draft, the Colts will most likely draft someone else.

[JWF]

Maybe im missing something..... but isnt one of the reasons for the Colts have the ability to get out of the contract at this point because Manning himself knew this was a possbility and was willing to give them one?

Maybe im wrong but thats kind of the way I remember it working.

No one is throwing him under the bus. They are prepared for a very real possibility.

[Smitto]

and what happens when he is cleared to play?

Well you can forget about Andrew luck if that's the case.

[theblueplague]

Can we all just knock it off with the "we owe Peyton so much more" talk? Let me break it down for you in a manner all you Peyton Manning fans can understand (coming from a Colts fan's perspective)

He got paid. He got paid very well because he played very well.

Now, he probably can't play anymore. So guess what, that probably means we don't pay him anymore.

[04DarkShadowGT]

Personally I am sickened by the way the man is being treated. All of this hype surrounding some rookie is just ridiculous especially when there is a real proven megastar NFL quarterback on the roster rather than the latest media mirage.

You HAD a proven mega star. But now that guy is nearing 40, is due 28 million, coming off neck surgery, and who knows if his neck/nerve is ever goign to heal enough to throw a ball at NFL velocity. That is about as far from a sure thing as it can possibly get. If Manning restructures to ease the burden on Indy if he cant keep up then I would be all for keeping him. But he wont and it just doesnt make sense to take that kind of a gamble with that much $$ at stake.

I guess I dont understand what some of you expect Irsay to do? Pay the money and just hope Manning is healthy eventhough you have no idea if he will be? It sure is easy to say pay the man when its not your $$ on the line. I think people dont consider the ramifications to the team if they do pay him and he cant play. You think the cap issues are bad right now, wait until Mannign counts for 35 million of it if the Colts pay him and then he cant play afterall.

[MAC]

I'm just playing Devil's advocate here, but you have to do what smart and fair. Is it really that smart and fair to keep Peyton here? He would probably have a better chance at winning a championship somewhere else. I think it's selfish to say to him "you are going to stay here and spend your last few years in the league tutoring your replacement instead of winning a championship or two". That's not his job, that's the job of the coaches.

There is a rational aspect to this, but I suspect that the OP is referring to the irrational aspects. Yes, many people are saying "I hate to see him go, but I think that the sacrifice will be well worth it in the long term". But other people seem downright gleeful about this, as if Peyton has been the cause of all our "problems" (ie: not enough SB wins) rather than a unique player that we've been incredibly fortunate to watch, the likes of which we will probably never see again. I suspect that many of them are so young that they just assume that Luck will be just as good, and so spoiled that they have no idea of what life without Peyton might be like. I recall every excruciating season between Jones and Manning. You don't dispose of Peyton as if he was Art Schlichter or Jeff George, with a " ' :barf: good ridance, :clean: who's next". You hang on with your toenails until the last pass is thrown.

[Smitto]

Well, there's throwing, and then there is throwing with 300lb angry men trying to hit you.

... that doesn't make any sense

[ACollie17]

I don't know that people are throwing him under the bus per say. Personally, I have accepted the fact along with many of us that 18 may not be in a Colts uniform next year. I am an advocate of drafting Andrew Luck and going ahead with him next season, but I'm also an advocate of having the field general QBing for us for a few more years. I think it's more people are preparing for the fact that Peyton may not be a Colt next year. I probably can't find a single person on this forum who doesn't appreciate what 18 has done for this franchise. He has been the glue and foundation for the past decade and because of him, Colts football has been a household name among playoff/SB contenders. But, again, people must face reality. Peyton may not be here next year, and if so, people need to be prepared for the coming of Luck IMO. Sure, he may not live up to potential. He may not be a "sufficient" successor to Peyton (not that there's many people who can do that). But he's still the most highly proclaimed prospect since Peyton and Elway and some one you can't pass on IMO. Yes, the scenario I want to see the most is a healthy Peyton Manning leading the Colts back to the playoffs and maybe Super Bowl where they belong, but it just might not play out that way. So no, I don't think people are throwing 18 under the bus. They're just preparing themselves for the realization than he may not be here next year.

[BleedingBlue]

/signed

[GoColts8818]

I hope this ends with Peyton being willing to come back to IN (when he retires) on a regular basis and want to be involved with his fans from IN. He gave Indiana what it needed from the sports world and without him we would still be talking about Reggie miller and damon bailey

I get the idea Indy will always be "home" for Peyton no matter what happens. I think that is why he did what he did for the hospital and what not.

[ViriLudant]

and what happens if he is cleared to play?

Fixed for accuracy.

THere are people who have had that surgery whose nerves never regenerate, or take 5 years ,or 6 months, or some other random amount of time that's not predictable. THAT is the issue.

[19colt]

Well sometimes your body makes the decision for you, whether he wants to retire or not if his neck isnt healed by march 8th he should retire for his own sake.

What i dont get is didnt the doctors clear him for throwing???? if his neck isnt healed why would the clear him?..........

This is another good point that people are ignoring.

People are saying his health is more of an issue than it is. Deep down these people would rather Luck for 10+ years than the same old Peyton for 3-4 years and no Luck. Seems like Irsay may be thinking the same thing which is sad.

[19colt]

Fixed for accuracy.

THere are people who have had that surgery whose nerves never regenerate, or take 5 years ,or 6 months, or some other random amount of time that's not predictable. THAT is the issue.

People seem to forget that it was conveniently swept under a rug that Manning would have got clearance to play in the last two games of the season. He went through the full practice script for a starting QB.

[UndecidedFrog]

People seem to forget that it was conveniently swept under a rug that Manning would have got clearance to play in the last two games of the season. He went through the full practice script for a starting QB.

What do you mean by "would have got clearance to play"?

Did he get clearance to play, or did he not get clearance to play?

What specific information do you possess that makes you think he "would have" got clearance? If he would have, why didn't he?

[Kyle]

Fixed for accuracy.

THere are people who have had that surgery whose nerves never regenerate, or take 5 years ,or 6 months, or some other random amount of time that's not predictable. THAT is the issue.

first off.... you really shouldnt quote someone and change what they said.

second.... i realize the nerve must regenerate but last i heard was the fusion took 100% and the nerve was on the right track.

the only reason to assume he may not play is because the media has spun it that way for their own benefit.

[Peyton and Eli fan]

I heard someone on Mike and Mike say that Peyton was cleared to play and take hits by doctors. So, if true, medically he's ok, just skills wise he wasn't ready. I'm sorry I can't remember who said that. I don't think it was Polian.

[Smitto]

This is another good point that people are ignoring.

People are saying his health is more of an issue than it is. Deep down these people would rather Luck for 10+ years than the same old Peyton for 3-4 years and no Luck. Seems like Irsay may be thinking the same thing which is sad.

I think that's one of the biggest things... if peyton is healthy come march 8th I wouldn't be mad at all if the colts traded down to get someone for defense and get a QB later in the draft...

To be honest I rather have a great defense than another great peyton.

[19colt]

What do you mean by "would have got clearance to play"?

Did he get clearance to play, or did he not get clearance to play?

What specific information do you possess that makes you think he "would have" got clearance? If he would have, why didn't he?

Around Week 15 Manning was practicing in pads and lobbying to play in the last two games of the season. Players were starting to talk about how he was looking, someone said he was "throwing with good velocity" and it was said that Manning went through the same script that Orlovsky went through. Then boom out came the hammer (Polian/Irsay) and shut down everything and since then Manning's health has been back in question.

I think even if Manning is 100% ready to go March 8th that Irsay might still want Luck and to release Manning. I think Irsay may be trying to leverage things so that public opinion of him is high no matter what happens with Peyton. I hope I am wrong and Peyton is giving at least one more season to prove himself.

[Jaric]

Personally I am sickened by the way the man is being treated. All of this hype surrounding some rookie is just ridiculous especially when there is a real proven megastar NFL quarterback on the roster rather than the latest media mirage.

The issue with Manning has very little to do with Andrew Luck.

The issue with Manning is simple. If we pick up his option, and he is not ready to play, it will cripple our team financially. That's really the begining and the end of it. It is not reasonable to ask Jim Irsay to do that out of sentimentality even for a guy like Peyton Manning.