Mort Now Says He Can See Peyton Manning Returning To The Colts

[GoGoColts]

If we all have given up on the back and forth specualtion (I have said it many times) then why are our left mouse buttons worn down so much from clicking on every potential thread of information?

It's not.

[JCPatriot]

And yes in the end.....it's all up to Irsay.

***More Manning and Irsay mind reading based loosely on comments that they have made but mostly on my gut feeling.***

On the same note, Irsay is not going to pick up Manning's option unless he is committed to devoting some resources to winning while he is here. He is not going to pay him that much money just to put scrubs around him and flounder about for a few years. If Irsay wants to lean heavily toward building for the future, he is probably going to release Manning because it would not be money well spent to keep Manning on the team and not give him sufficient tools to win.

It is going to largely depend on where both sides think the balance should be. Irsay is going to be more inclined to balance winning now with winning in the future. The Colts have been doing this for years, and I think it will be business as usual in this regard with the exception that they will have more resources tied up in the backup QB position than they ever have with Manning. I think if this season had not happened, we would be entering a time period where the FO would completely sell out to win with Manning because they knew an overhaul was coming anyway. That's not going to happen now because the overhaul is happening early.

I think Manning wants the scale to tilt more toward winning now with him. He doesn't have that vested interest of needing to sell tickets after he is gone. In his perfect world, he would want the team to sell out and mortgage the future to win in his last few years, but I think he knows that is not reasonable. He understands that Irsay needs to take the future into account as well.

It is a matter of what both sides think is reasonable and whether or not that area overlaps. But in the end, if Irsay wants to keep Manning then Manning is going to be here whether he likes it or not....although I don't think Irsay would hold him hostage if he is completely unhappy with the situation. The bigger question right now is not how to manage the Manning situation if he is able to play.....it is whether or not he will show enough progress to reassure Irsay that he will be able to play. I don't think he has to be completely 100%, but he needs to show enough progress to convince the staff that there is a high probability that he will recover and play. I don't think there is any way that Irsay will pick up the option if he feels that it is likely that Manning will never recover sufficiently to play. He is going to put emotion aside and make the decision that he objectively feels is best for the team moving forward. I hate it, but I also realize that it is what needs to be done.

[Jules]

Good post again.

I still won't count out the idea of Peyton never playing again though. I don't know how good his arm is right now.....but at the same time with Peyton being a perfectionist he may not even want to go out there if he is not at the level he thinks he needs to be.

[warsawcoltsfan]

The thing I keep going back to is Irsay said it wasnt about the money. If Peyton is healthy he will be our qb. He said they could keep Manning and draft a qb. i really hope Manning is healthy and he stays. We will just have to wait and see

[John Dee]

I was out driving last night and heard an interview with Mort. He was asked where will Peyton play next season and the first place he said was Indianapolis which threw the guy interviewing him for a loop. (The guy by the way was Doug Gottlieb). Mort said he could see it happening for the following reasons:

1. The fact we hired Arians as the OC and kept Clyde as the QB coach. He said he saw those as moves that were done to help make Manning comfotrable with the change that was going on in Indy.

2. He pretty much said it's easy to talk about cutting Peyton Manning or if you are Peyton think about leaving in January and February it's a whole other thing to really do it in March when they have to make that call. He said the closer we get to that date the more emotions are going to come into this and he thinks deep down Irsay doesn't want to cut Peyton because he knows how the fanbase will respond not to mention he loves Manning for the same reasons the fans do. He views him as the guy who saved his franchise. He also said he doesn't think deep down Manning really wants to leave Indianapolis and that he honestly wants to finish his career here and while some people can't understand why he would want to stay in Indy that Manning hates change and wouldn't want to leave the city that he has played his whole career in not to mention Manning really means it when he says he wants to play his whole career for one team.

Mort did go on to say that he thought Maning staying in Indy would still be a bit of a long shot but you can't rule it out. He said while he would be surprised he could see a way Manning stays in Indy. He went on to stay if that happens the Colts will still take Luck in the draft. He's said that's the one thing that has not been a question in this whole thing. He was then asked what about RG3 and he said the Colts would take an honest look at him but unless something completely shockng happens he feels the Colts have already decided on Luck but are just waiting to make it offical. He was very clear though that having Manning or not will NOT impact what the Colts do with the top pick.

So take that for what it's worth. Just more media speculation. It'll be interesting to see if people who have done nothing but kill Mort and ESPN now love him since he's the one saying he sees a way that Manning can come back here.

Blind loyalty is the only reason Irsay has to "make the committment" to Manning.... Manning 100% is a no brainer... but he is NOT 100%, irsay wauld be taking a risk that "could" cripple this franchise for the next 4 years if Manning is kept and his health fails.

I would think... based on all the sillyness that has already occured that Irsay will make the "unpopular" but "wise" decision.

And lets not forget Manning can provide the Colts some "relief" on the time table and salary... but as of yet he chooses NOT to...

The Colts and Manning are moving on in different directions.

[Wyld1]

Blind loyalty is the only reason Irsay has to "make the committment" to Manning.... Manning 100% is a no brainer... but he is NOT 100%, irsay wauld be taking a risk that "could" cripple this franchise for the next 4 years if Manning is kept and his health fails.

I would think... based on all the sillyness that has already occured that Irsay will make the "unpopular" but "wise" decision.

And lets not forget Manning can provide the Colts some "relief" on the time table and salary... but as of yet he chooses NOT to...

The Colts and Manning are moving on in different directions.

This is the sad truth....it sucks to see it go down this way but it is what is best for the team's future.

[GoColts8818]

Blind loyalty is the only reason Irsay has to "make the committment" to Manning.... Manning 100% is a no brainer... but he is NOT 100%, irsay wauld be taking a risk that "could" cripple this franchise for the next 4 years if Manning is kept and his health fails.

I would think... based on all the sillyness that has already occured that Irsay will make the "unpopular" but "wise" decision.

And lets not forget Manning can provide the Colts some "relief" on the time table and salary... but as of yet he chooses NOT to...

The Colts and Manning are moving on in different directions.

Again take it up with Mort I am just passing along what he reported.

I've made my view point well known. I would love to have Manning back to groom Luck but I don't think that is going to happen and I agree 100% that if Manning is not healthy on March 8th you can't take the risk on a he "should be" healthy. Unless Manning is willing to rework his contract but frankly if we release Manning I just don't see him coming back here. That's just not how it works in the NFL.

[bellboys]

not sure what to think about this. All we have heard is that Manning is done in Indy. Then we hear this. If Manning is done in Indy that would be a shame. For what he has meant for this team ,community, and the state would be hard to see him leave. If Mort is right in saying that Manning could stay in Indy that would be great. I guess is what I'm saying to this is. We will just have to wait and see what happens from now until the March 8th deadline. This what he said/ what he said is starting to get real old because no one is for sure what will happen until then.

[oldunclemark]

Saw it mentioned that drafting Luck locks up the QB position for 15 years for the Colts. Nice to know, considering the percentage of QBs in the history of the NFL that have "Locked up" the position for 15 years. My guess would have the odds at 1/4 of 1%.

Sure hope that the only hing we have to worry about.

I want to hear all the rumors..Keep 'em coming

[WoolMagnet]

Saw it mentioned that drafting Luck locks up the QB position for 15 years for the Colts. Nice to know, considering the percentage of QBs in the history of the NFL that have "Locked up" the position for 15 years. My guess would have the odds at 1/4 of 1%.

Forgive them, they know not of what they speak.

That being said, IF Manning is out of the picture, I'd take the chance on Luck to "lock-up" the QB position for 14 years..

[farmsoakhill]

Hello, new to the forum. Manning wasnt 100 percent when he had surgery, why do you think he had to have surgery. Dont ya think if he can rehab back to where he was before the surgery he will pack LOS again. The surgery wont make the nerve worse. It should help the pressure on it and relieve the symptoms. Also we sucked for Luck, what if Luck really sucks, then where will we be? Painter????

[UndecidedFrog]

Hello, new to the forum. Manning wasnt 100 percent when he had surgery, why do you think he had to have surgery. Dont ya think if he can rehab back to where he was before the surgery he will pack LOS again. The surgery wont make the nerve worse. It should help the pressure on it and relieve the symptoms. Also we sucked for Luck, what if Luck really sucks, then where will we be? Painter????

Welcome newbie.

If PM can rehab back to where he was before surgery, he will. That isn't the question. The question is what happens if he can't rehab it back to where he was before surgery? What will the Colts do? Is it Luck, or is it Painter/Collins./Orlovsky?

What happens if PM is back, but demonstrates a decline in performance? What do the Colts do now, after paying that $28MM option bonus that now will have serious cap hit consequences should he retire or is released?

Every draft prospect has risk that they will end up a bust. However, that risk is minimized with highly rated prospects such as Luck. IMO, there is no safer pick than the highest rated prospect in the draft.

[Andy]

Im more worried about what Peyton sees....either way, at least there are some positive reports out there.

[UndecidedFrog]

Im more worried about what Peyton sees....either way, at least there are some positive reports out there.

The reports from the media will not matter. Irsay will make his decision from other, hopefully more reliable sources.

[oldunclemark]

I think if Irsay was heck bent on cutting Peyton manning./.he'd have done it the week after the Super Bowl

[WoolMagnet]

Hello, new to the forum. Manning wasnt 100 percent when he had surgery, why do you think he had to have surgery. Dont ya think if he can rehab back to where he was before the surgery he will pack LOS again. The surgery wont make the nerve worse. It should help the pressure on it and relieve the symptoms. Also we sucked for Luck, what if Luck really sucks, then where will we be? Painter????

Thats a WHOLE lotta' IFs.

[Superman]

Yep. I think the Colts take Luck.

Yeah, regardless of the Manning issue, I'm pretty sure we'll take Luck #1.

[Rich Cannon]

Im tired ot the media at this point they all need a pie to the face. March cant get here fast enough.

[Scipio]

Irsay tends to do things his way, even if a bit illogical. I suspect we will end up with both Manning and Luck in 2012.

[oldunclemark]

Irsay tends to do things his way, even if a bit illogical. I suspect we will end up with both Manning and Luck in 2012.

]]\

True words...

We keep waiting for him to tell us what he's going to do..

..and the truth is..he probably already has....He wants Manning AND Luck...

[Jules]

]]\

True words...

We keep waiting for him to tell us what he's going to do..

..and the truth is..he probably already has....He wants Manning AND Luck...

"You can't always get what you want.......but if you try sometime.......you just might find what you need."

[braveheartcolt]

"You can't always get what you want.......but if you try sometime.......you just might find what you need."

"I was standing in line with Mr Jimmy" (Irsay).......you may be onto something Jules......!

[number28]

who is Mort?

[ruksak]

Last night Jason LaCanfora (NFLN) was reporting that Manning will be cut within the next 10 days (now 9, I'm counting). "It's pretty much a done deal, they just need to get together". If he turns out to be correct, I'll respect that. However, if it turns out that he's wrong, I will send him a dead raccoon every Tuesday for the next year.

Seriously though, he shouldn't be running his fat mouth if he doesn't know for sure. Fans don't want misleading information. Personally, I'm going to hold him accountable for this if he's wrong. Doing so with a barrage of hate E-mail the like of which this Earth has never seen. I might even try to organize a mass E-mailing by as many people as I can.

[HungarianColtsFan]

We are close to employ celtic augurs to find out what's gona happen to PM.

I see Manning to stay with Colts too.

I don't think he could find a better team than Colts, and would have chance to play for SB. SB potent teams have talented, young, very good QBs. I just can't imagine, that Flacco, Smith, Rodgers, Tebow, Brady, Rothlisberger, E.Manning would be replaced with even a healthy PM.

IMO Cardinals wouldn't have playoff hopes with PM...then why should he go to another team? For an other handfull of $???

My main concern about him is his health. We still don't know if he is healthy enough yet to play, or he should wait and miss an other season?

We still don't know what's going on behind scenes. There must be serious brainstrom how to resolve this situation.