Peyton Manning: Will he be back?

[Edrondol]

And if he does come back, what team will he be playing for?

[ITS ME!]

By Jim Corbett, USA TODA

Chris Weinke is training three quarterback prospects for the Feb. 22-28 scouting combine and the April 26-28 draft, but he has encouraging news for any team considering signing Peyton Manning, should the Indianapolis Colts do the expected and move on from Manning rather than pay a $28 million March 8 option bonus.

The 39-year-old director of the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Fla., returned to lead Florida State to a 1999 undefeated, national championship season after undergoing spinal fusion surgery in November 1998 similar to what Manning underwent last Sept. 9.Weinke has shared his experience with Manning and thinks four-time NFL MVP will return to play again at a high level as he continues his rehabilitation from four surgeries, including one that was not publicly acknowledged between last May 23 and that September anterior fusion surgery, according to SI.com.
"I've spoken to Peyton early on in the process,'' Weinke told USA TODAY Thursday. "My gut feeling: It's not a question of if he can get back healthy because it's already been proven it can happen because I went through it.
"It comes down to Peyton and what he wants. My gut tells me he wants to come back and play. My gut also tells me he's going to come back and be just as good if not better than he was prior to the surgery.''
What is encouraging for Manning as he awaits regeneration of nerves in his right triceps muscle is that Weinke overcame full regeneration of nerves in his throwing arm.
Weinke's throwing arm went dead after he was blasted by then-Virginia defensive end Patrick Kearney during a November, 1998 game.
"I lost everything, full atrophy in my throwing arm, the nerves that control my right arm were damaged,'' the former Seminoles quarterback said. "My head was awkward and I got involved in a head-on collision.
"I had total nerve regeneration. So I had to in essence re-teach myself to throw.''
Weinke believes that if the Colts are indeed starting over that the Miami Dolphins would seem the ideal frontrunner for Manning's services when his slow-to-heal nerves do regenerate.
"From the outside looking in, I can tell you Peyton's one of a kind, he's going to do all the due diligence to make sure he goes to the right situation. Miami would probably be the frontrunner but who knows what a team is thinking,'' Weinke said.
Weinke won the 2000 Heisman Trophy, at 28, the oldest player ever to win college football's most coveted award and went on to make 15 NFL starts with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers before hanging up his cleats after the 2007 season.
Last summer during the lockout, he helped prepare rookie quarterbacks Cam Newton and Christian Ponder for their initial seasons.

[ITS ME!]

Colts GM isn’t ready to decide on Manning, Luck

By MICHAEL MAROT, AP Sports Writer Feb 23, 7:13 pm EST











INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Even the Indianapolis Colts don’t have all the answers on Peyton Manning. Or Andrew Luck, for that matter.

New general manager Ryan Grigson said the Colts have not decided whether to release the four-time league MVP, whether to renegotiate with him or whether to take Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft.
Instead, things in Indianapolis are about as uncertain as the status of Manning’s right arm.
“Peyton has to be healthy, it has to be something that’s spoken on, investigated and talked about,” Grigson said Thursday at the scouting combine. “But right now, like I said, it’s a process that we’re waiting for things to happen and doing the things that we have control of. Things that we don’t have control of, we just have no choice but to be patient and (perhaps) all you will be the same.”




The constant questions have complicated Indy’s decisions.
First, the Colts must determine whether Manning’s arm is strong enough to keep playing.
Doctors cleared Manning to begin practice in early December, and there’s been rampant speculation about Manning’s recovery since then. Recent reports have indicated Manning is not throwing with NFL velocity and some doubt whether he’ll ever be the same quarterback.
Running back Joseph Addai, who caught passes from Manning in late December, and former team vice chairman Bill Polian, who watched the same workout, have both said Manning threw with good velocity from 25 to 30 yards then, just 4 1/2 months after having two vertebrae fused. A full recovery can take nine to 12 months, well beyond the March 8 due date for the $28 million bonus owed to Manning.

If the Colts don’t pay up, the longtime face of the franchise could become a free agent.
Polian didn’t change his story Thursday.
“He was able to stand at the left hash mark and throw it to the right sideline, but he didn’t get much beyond 25 to 28 yards,” he said. “He was absolutely on the money and threw with good velocity. I was impressed with that workout and he clearly, clearly had come a long way since September.”
Polian could not say whether the damaged nerve that was causing weakness in Manning’s throwing arm had completely regenerated, though, and that’s what Grigson, team owner Jim Irsay and coach Chuck Pagano want to know.
If Manning returns to full strength, he could continue to be one of the league’s top players.
But that’s the $28 million question, and Grigson and Pagano said they haven’t even seen Manning throw yet.
Two weeks ago, Manning worked out at Duke where David Cutcliffe, his former college offensive coordinator, is now the head coach.
“We’ve talked, and when we’ve talked it’s been mostly about his workouts, the arm and how he’s coming along,” Pagano said.
Pagano didn’t provide any additional details about what Manning said about his arm.
Manning has offered to redo the five-year, $90 million contract he signed in July, a move that could make it more palatable for Indy to keep him, but it’s unclear what it would take. The Colts also must decide whether a reworked deal would fit into an already tight salary cap.
Indy also has a handful of key players—receivers Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne, defensive end Robert Mathis and center Jeff Saturday—in line to become free agents.

“We’ve been in talks with him (Manning) and he’s talked to Jim quite a bit,” Grigson said. “We’ll, hopefully, over the course of time have more for you. But right now it’s not much different than before.”

The other complication is Luck.
The Stanford quarterback will get measured, go through medical exams and begin psychological testing Friday in Indy. He won’t work out until Sunday, and he is not expected to throw this week.
But that hasn’t stopped the questions that overshadowed the buildup to this year’s Super Bowl and now threatens to overshadow the combine.
“He’s a great player. The last guy in the last row of any stadium could tell you he’s a great player,” Grigson said. “He’s a great person, and an intelligent guy as are a lot of other guys here.”
When asked if the Colts intended to start negotiating with Luck when permitted Friday, Grigson denied it.
“We’re going to base a lot of our decisions on this week,” Grigson said. “It doesn’t make sense to me to make any decisions until you have the evaluation process done.”
With decision day on Manning just two weeks away, this week’s interviews, tests and workouts could go a long way in finally solidifying the futures of two high-profile quarterbacks—Luck and Manning.
“That’s all being discussed,” Grigson said. “That’s part of the whole week—seeing where we are as a team, seeing how the draft shapes up. There’s just so much to this.”

[Edrondol]

Okay, now tell me what YOU think.

[ITS ME!]

Okay, now tell me what YOU think.

Well to be honest with you I really dont know what the Colts will do, IMO they should keep him but its hard to say how they will end up deciding on this?

Long story short Im stumped as to what the outcome will be. lol

[Edrondol]

I think because of the money he'll be forced to go elsewhere. They are going to be paying a killing to get Andrew Luck and they need the money from Peyton to be able to meet that salary cap.

I see Peyton going different places, but I've heard mentioned Denver and Minnesota as two possibilities. I've also heard Dallas, but I can't see Jerry Jones giving up Romo.

[Edrondol]

Aaaaand scene. Guess who was right again? Yup! ME!!

Looks like Manning is out in Indy as of tomorrow.

[Edrondol]

And this double post is to tell you that analysts are predicting either he'll go to Chiefs (inside track), Dolphins or the Redskins. But that's just speculation at this point. I can see him being a damned good fit in KC, though.

[Rowdy Yates]

Arizona or Miami....... personnaly Id like to see the J E T S get him

[ptshooter619]

Let's goo broncos! With Peyton, they'll be contenders for sure!

[Rowdy Yates]

Yep all my friends and family have jumped on my Bronco's. Colts fans galore. lol All ready seen Manning jersey's (Bronco's) here in Indiana. LOVE IT. However dont see me buyin me one. kids-yes. they grew up with Peyton here.

My prayers were granted: Tebow and Quinn r gone, Last remnants of McDaniels raping of Denver r gone.

HOW BOUT THEM BRONCO'S

[rccustem]

I don't think we will ever see him in uniform again

[Nudel]

Danke