Images of Peyton Manning are everywhere in Indianapolis — in the mall and at the airport, in a towering portrait on the side of the Colts’ downtown stadium, and on the walls inside where the ticket holders party.
But on Wednesday, the Colts parted ways with their iconic quarterback who turned the franchise from laughingstock to constant contender and who won a Super Bowl in the 2006 season.
Manning, who will turn 36 later this month, will perhaps become the most prized free agent in N.F.L. history. The Colts held a news conference Wednesday, at which Manning spoke.
“Our circumstances make it best for us to take this next step,” Manning said. “It certainly has not been easy for me.”
The decision, first reported by ESPN, is not a surprise. Manning spent his 14-year career in Indianapolis, but he became expendable after a neck injury forced him to miss the 2011 season and the Colts collapsed without him, finishing tied for the worst record (2-14) with the St. Louis Rams. That put the Colts in position to select Manning’s successor, Andrew Luck, who will have as many lofty expectations to meet as Manning did.
Luck will join a franchise that is substantially different from the one Manning elevated to greatness. Since the end of the season, the Colts’ owner, Jim Irsay, has cleaned house of most of the coaches and front-office executives who worked with Manning.
The Colts would surely prefer that Manning choose to retire rather than continue to play. But Manning has been cleared by doctors, and his throws are said to be improved in recent weeks. Now Manning — who had hoped to play for one team in his career — will probably join other great quarterbacks like Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana in finishing his career elsewhere.
Manning and Irsay traded public barbs in the days before the Super Bowl, displaying just how fraught their emotions were over a potential parting. Manning, though, might have indicated how jarring the past few months have been for him the week before the Super Bowl was played in Indianapolis.
“It’s a strange time around here, with all the coaches getting let go,” Manning said in an interview. “I guess that’s somewhat normal for a lot of teams, but it hasn’t happened around here much. I’ve been in the facility every day rehabbing, and everybody in the building is walking around on eggshells because nobody knows who is going to get fired next.
“It’s not the kind of environment you like to be in,” he said. “It was fun to get out of town.”
Now he is gone for good, and his availability is likely to lead to a free-agency sweepstakes like few others. Manning’s absence from the Colts this season could have enhanced his value, because it laid bare just how many holes, on offense and defense, Manning was able to cover up for so long. If he is healthy — a significant question given the seriousness of his neck condition and the long rehabilitation it has entailed — Manning remains one of the few quarterbacks so dominant he can instantly transform a franchise.
Manning has been the Colts’ quarterback for so long that the last quarterback to start a game before he got there was Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh is now the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, who could be among the teams that try to woo Manning.
Manning could sign immediately, although it is unlikely he will. Manning has had four procedures on his neck, and his arm strength was diminished as a result. He has been working furiously to get in shape, but his ability to play at his usual, extraordinary level remains unknown. Manning has worked out in Miami and at Duke University. Last week, a shaky video showing Manning throwing a few passes was leaked and was scrutinized for indications about his strength and accuracy.
Manning’s health will be closely examined by his suitors, and he will have to throw for teams that are interested in him. He could be reluctant to do that for at least a few more weeks to give his arm more time to improve. That could mean an extended free-agency process that could stretch into the summer as teams weigh other free agents, like the Green Bay backup Matt Flynn, and potential draft choices, including Robert Griffin III, who is expected to go second in the April draft.
But if Manning is able to demonstrate to teams that his arm strength has returned, he is expected to be pursued by a number of teams who believe they are just a quarterback away from being Super Bowl contenders. Among the likely suitors: the Miami Dolphins, who are desperate for a star attraction to fill seats and compete with the Miami Heat; the Arizona Cardinals, who can offer a climate-controlled stadium, a winnable division and receiver Larry Fitzgerald; the Seattle Seahawks, with a young defense and a great running game; the Washington Redskins, who have no viable starting quarterback; and the Jets, who are reeling from a late-season meltdown that has shaken confidence in Mark Sanchez.
Manning’s availability stirred reaction Tuesday night. Furious Colts fans on Twitter vented their unhappiness with Irsay’s decision. But Arizona’s Darnell Dockett indicated his wishes on his Twitter feed: “Peyton to AZ!!!!!”
Following a legend will not be easy for Luck, but it will be easier without Manning on the roster. Luck is the most highly regarded quarterback to emerge from college since Manning, and he is viewed as being N.F.L.-ready.
But he will come to a team that looks little like the one Manning knew. Chuck Pagano is in his first year as a head coach, and General Manager Ryan Grigson is also a rookie. Many of the offensive weapons (Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon, for example) whom Manning relied on could be gone, as could his stalwart center, Jeff Saturday.
The Colts have made no secret about their rebuilding; in that way, the Luck era will begin as the Manning once did, likely with a difficult year. The Colts won just three games in Manning’s rookie season, and he threw 28 interceptions.
The Colts went 13-3 in Manning’s second season. They made the playoffs that season, and 10 of the 11 seasons he played after that, leaving Luck with a daunting task.
Manning made the Colts relevant for more than a decade, and the popularity he brought to the franchise helped get Lucas Oil Stadium built and a Super Bowl hosted last month. That is probably enough to keep many of the images of him in place for many years. But soon, Manning will be trying to elevate another franchise.
Author: Judy Battista
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