phinatic1399
Diehard Phinatic!
What this column won't be about: where Peyton Manning will play in 2012. There's a simple reason. No one knows yet if he'll play at all. In the last few days, as I said on NBC last night, I've heard mixed reports about his physical condition. There is no guarantee he'll be healthy enough for any team to build its offense around.
Manning turns 36 in two months. He's had three neck surgeries in the past two years. People in Miami, Washington, Arizona and New York dreaming of Manning playing for their team and leading them to the promised land have to get their heads around the reality of this situation. Manning might be fine and ready to play football in 2012, and maybe even a year or two beyond that. Or he might wake up on March 1 and not feel fit enough, and get his release from the Colts, and then spend more time rehabbing, trying to get fit enough and strong enough in the neck and arm to play this year. Or he might say, with new twins in the house, it's all not worth the risk.
Or Manning might waffle, which would be the greatest thing ever to happen to Brett Favre. Instead of Mike Florio speculating monthly if some team might take leave of its senses and try to lure Favre out of retirement, ProFootballTalk.com could make a cottage industry of The Race for Manning. Jets? Dolphins? Cards? 'Skins? The golf course in Chattanooga? Who knows? And if you thought ESPN and NFL Network over-covered Tim Tebow, wait 'til you see this. I can just see Scott Hanson and Ed Werder (or Chris Mortensen, who is tight with Manning) out in lawn chairs, camped out for the white smoke signals from the Manning chimney.
I know it's too much to ask, waiting for the story to actually develop. But near the end of the football season, Manning made a plea to let the process play out. Let the neck heal. Let the arm strength come back, if it will. Give it time. I don't think we can know anything definitive until Manning gives the process that time, and he sits down with owner Jim Irsay in late February or early March and tells him exactly where he is physically.
What'll happen then? I don't know. The other day, Manning family friend Gil Brandt, the longtime NFL personnel guru, was dubious about Manning's future when he appeared on my podcast. "My gut feeling,'' said Brandt, "is that we've probably seen the last of Peyton.''
Strong statement, and he wouldn't have said it unless he felt pretty good about it. Now, he did follow that by saying he doesn't think anyone knows the answer to the question for sure ... yet. We've all got to wait.
One more point: I talked to Colts owner Irsay over the weekend, and he insisted, contrary to an NFL.com report that he decided "weeks ago'' to part ways with Manning, that he hasn't done any such thing. "There has been no decision,'' Irsay told me. "This thing is still up in the air. I guarantee you I have not made the decision."
My gut is Manning's probably done here. And only time will tell if he'll play anywhere. It's just not anything we can know now
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/01/30/superbowl/index.html#ixzz1kxrRZjMg
Manning turns 36 in two months. He's had three neck surgeries in the past two years. People in Miami, Washington, Arizona and New York dreaming of Manning playing for their team and leading them to the promised land have to get their heads around the reality of this situation. Manning might be fine and ready to play football in 2012, and maybe even a year or two beyond that. Or he might wake up on March 1 and not feel fit enough, and get his release from the Colts, and then spend more time rehabbing, trying to get fit enough and strong enough in the neck and arm to play this year. Or he might say, with new twins in the house, it's all not worth the risk.
Or Manning might waffle, which would be the greatest thing ever to happen to Brett Favre. Instead of Mike Florio speculating monthly if some team might take leave of its senses and try to lure Favre out of retirement, ProFootballTalk.com could make a cottage industry of The Race for Manning. Jets? Dolphins? Cards? 'Skins? The golf course in Chattanooga? Who knows? And if you thought ESPN and NFL Network over-covered Tim Tebow, wait 'til you see this. I can just see Scott Hanson and Ed Werder (or Chris Mortensen, who is tight with Manning) out in lawn chairs, camped out for the white smoke signals from the Manning chimney.
I know it's too much to ask, waiting for the story to actually develop. But near the end of the football season, Manning made a plea to let the process play out. Let the neck heal. Let the arm strength come back, if it will. Give it time. I don't think we can know anything definitive until Manning gives the process that time, and he sits down with owner Jim Irsay in late February or early March and tells him exactly where he is physically.
What'll happen then? I don't know. The other day, Manning family friend Gil Brandt, the longtime NFL personnel guru, was dubious about Manning's future when he appeared on my podcast. "My gut feeling,'' said Brandt, "is that we've probably seen the last of Peyton.''
Strong statement, and he wouldn't have said it unless he felt pretty good about it. Now, he did follow that by saying he doesn't think anyone knows the answer to the question for sure ... yet. We've all got to wait.
One more point: I talked to Colts owner Irsay over the weekend, and he insisted, contrary to an NFL.com report that he decided "weeks ago'' to part ways with Manning, that he hasn't done any such thing. "There has been no decision,'' Irsay told me. "This thing is still up in the air. I guarantee you I have not made the decision."
My gut is Manning's probably done here. And only time will tell if he'll play anywhere. It's just not anything we can know now
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/01/30/superbowl/index.html#ixzz1kxrRZjMg
