Good article: Will Manning ever play again? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Good article: Will Manning ever play again?

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Question on Manning is whether he'll play at all

The Peyton Manning snowball is reaching avalanche proportions now.
The Colts have cleaned house and it seems as if Manning will be the next to be ushered out the door. The Dolphins and Jets have leaked word they would be interested in Manning. The 49'ers might be interested. The Cardinals might be interested. Manning, in an extensive interview with the Indianapolis Star, seems unhappy with the current state of affairs in Indy.
And a decision on Manning from the Colts, arrived at mutually with Manning, is due prior to March 8 -- the date Manning is due a $28 million bonus that the Colts must decide to pay to retain him or not pay and let him walk.
So Dolphins fans are fired up. They're excited at the prospect of their quarterback-hungry team acquiring one of the all-time best quarerbacks of the modern era.
Stop.
Breathe.
Think.
Before we waste any more news print ... um, well, cyberspace ... on the idea of whether Peyton Manning will come to the Dolphins, let us consider a more fundamental and sobering question:
Will Peyton Manning ever play football again?
The truth is the chances he may never play again are just as high as the ones suggesting he'll ever be in a Dolphins uniform. The truth is Manning has had three neck surgeries in the past 19 months, the latest in September of 2011, and none of those procedures have yet to make him right.
He lost feeling in portions of his throwing arm because one or more of the nerves that feeds into the arm either died or became impinged or simply stopped firing. As a result, the triceps on his throwing arm often felt numb. And it suffered atrophy.
That glorious arm that has thrown for 54,828 yards in 14 seasons? It's broken right now.
Yes, Manning might wake up today and suddenly the surgery meant to regenerate the nerve might suddenly get it firing again. And all will be well with him again. But it might not. And it might not tomorrow or ever for all we know.
Don't believe me. Former Colts president Bill Polian, among those swept out after Indy's 2-14 season along with most of the coaching staff, told ESPN radio this week there is no set course for getting Manning healthy.
"We just don't know. And nobody can tell you," Polian said. "I'll quote Dr. Watkins or at least paraphrase Dr. Watkins, who operated on Peyton back in September: He said there is no potion, there is no known medicine, there is no modality, there is no series of exercises, there is no test and there is no surgery that can predict accurately when a nerve will regenerate. And that is the issue here.
"And from what I understand, as of at least a month ago, progress was on-going and the graph was up but no one can know when and if Peyton's nerve that controls the triceps muscle will regenerate completely and will regenerate enough for him to play. The hope of every doctor -- and we talked to many -- is that it will. The expectation is that it will. When it will, no one can predict.
"It's extremely frustrating for Peyton, I know. And he's a soldier through it better than anyone I've ever seen in my career. But it's on ongoing process. And hopefully for him and his family it's sooner rather than later but nobody can predict it."

read more:http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolp...eaned-house-and-it-seems-as-if-manning-i.html
 
Heck, I'd even be happy if he retired and just decided to become our QB coach.
 
Damn...I'd hate to see his career end like this. He and Marino had nearlly parallel careers the difference being that the Colts were able to get Manning a ring.

When it's all said and done, Manning will be remembered as arguably the best QB ever...and at the very least top 3.
 
I just dont see Manning retiring this season, he doesnt want to end his career like this and I dont blame him, he can still play at a high level and he is just way too competitive. I would love to see him in Miami, even if its just like a Chad Pennington type ending
 
I too doubt if Peyton will ever play again and unfortunately I speak from experience. I had the same surgery Peyton had in December 2010 which was a c6/c7 fusion. I had weakness and atrophy in my left tricep and to this date I have only regained about 30% of the strength that I originally had. I am an avid fitness guy and am no where near where I was prior to this injury. What Bill Polian stated is correct. Once the nerve is free there is no timetable on if/when that nerve will regenerate. I have heard it can take 1mm per week to regenerate but as my neurosurgeon told me, there are not guarantees that it will ever come back. As a football fan, I am hopefuly that Peyton's nerve regenerates and he is able to come back to where he was before the injury but based off my experiences it is really out if his control.
 
I think this season proved how much more important Peyton Manning is to the Colts than Tom Brady is to the Pats. I'm not necessarily saying Manning is so much better than Brady, but when Brady was out for the year, Pats went 11-5. Manning is the team. No Manning, no team.
 
I just dont see Manning retiring this season, he doesnt want to end his career like this and I dont blame him, he can still play at a high level and he is just way too competitive. I would love to see him in Miami, even if its just like a Chad Pennington type ending

How do you know he can still play at a high level? Just becuase he was prior to his injury doesn't mean he still can. I think some of you really underestimate the severity of his injury
 
I too hade severly herniated my C6/C7 disk back in 2004 while working out. I feared epidurals and surgery so opted for conservative treatment. I could not even hold a soda can in my left hand, that is how weak it was. I spent 7 months rehabbing twice a week and during this time, the impingement caused nerve damage and atrophy in my left triceps muscle. I can tell you today that my diagnosis was to have 80-85% of my strength recovered in this arm. I also can tell you that I am working out harder than ever today and my left arm is actually stronger than my right. I feel I am back to 100% and felt that way only about 2 years after my initial herniation. I still have numbness in 3 of my fingers on my left hand. That is permanant. Once in a while playing softball, I turn the wrong way and feel that scary reminder of what I now live with. No way am I comparing my issue to Peyton's (I do not have to dodge 275 lb linebackers...) Just saying that there is hope for him to build up enough strength in that arm to throw a football.. With that said, I still would want Flynn here to be our guy
 
The reports are very clear. He is not ready to play, and there is no time table on his muscle regaining it's strength.
If everything miraculously heals and he is ready to play in September, is Manning a good fit for the WCO?
My understanding is that mobile QB's that can read the defense are the prototype for this style.
Manning can definitely read defenses, but he has never been mobile. He would be taking additional risks by playing out of pocket/ 3 step drops.
Personally, I think Flynn is the better WCO QB, more sensible, younger and healthier, and cheaper alternative.
Mannings career is in it's sunset. ...maybe sundown.
 
It's roughly 7 weeks until FA starts. Not much time to regenerate the nerve. If it ever does regenerate, he won't be signed by anyone until it does. I don't see the Dolphins waiting on it to heal.
 
I just wish he would retire. He has nothing left to prove, only thing left is to really get hurt. Don't get me wrong if healthy he is a great QB, but if we get him I will cringe everytime he takes a hit or even steps up into the pocket.
 
better get ten different doctors and see what they say
 
Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to see a healthy Manning in Miami. But, the reality is that likely isn't 100%. And he likely will NEVER be 100%. Dan Marino was our franchise QB, and he retired a Dolphin. For HIS sake, and for the sake of a good NFL story, I would like to see Manning retire on top, with most of his health, as a Colt.
 
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