On Wednesday, the Indianapolis Colts ended months of speculation by cutting Peyton Manning. It was highly anticipated, but it is still shocking. Peyton has been the face of the Colts franchise since 1998, his rookie season. Manning had turned a laughingstock into a dominant franchise, earning one championship along the way. While it’s sad it came to this, it just confirms that sports is just a business.
Last year, Colts owner Jim Irsay thought he locked up Manning for the rest of his playing days. Peyton signed a five year, $90 million deal that should have guaranteed his career ended in Indy. Unfortunately, there was a setback in Manning’s off-season neck surgery, which required more surgery. Peyton never stepped foot onto a field in 2011. The Colts did not do well without #18, finishing as the worst team in the NFL. People began to wonder if Peyton Manning, the greatest quarterback in Colts history, would be cut. He was due a $28 million roster bonus if he remained on the team on March 11th. Irsay had cleaned house after last year’s dismal season, firing the general manager and all the coaches. They also had the top pick in the draft, where two QB prospects, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, await. He also had to wonder if Peyton was physically ready to resume his career. Despite assurances from doctors that Peyton was ready, Irsay had to decide if the risk was worth it. Yesterday, Irsay decided it was too risky and cut the man who made the Colts a winner.
It’s a shame that Manning will
have to wear another uniform to continue his career, but it isn’t
unprecedented. Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Joe Montana are three examples of
Hall of Fame quarterbacks who did not finish their careers for the team that
drafted them. Ask any diehard Dallas Cowboys fan about Emmett Smith’s tenure as
an Arizona Cardinal and I am sure you will hear obscenities. It’s just the
nature of the game.
A football team is a business, simply put. It is up to an owner to run all aspects as efficiently as possible. Managing a salary cap is one of those aspects. I’m not gonna nerd it up with facts and figures, but you only have so much to spend on 53 players. Some players are worth more than others. Owners have to figure out a way to field the most competitive team and still be within the cap. If there was no cap, Peyton Manning would still be a Colt. However, $28 million is a lot to guarantee someone who a) might not be the same player prior to the surgeries, b) might be rusty after a year long layoff, and c) will be 36 years old before training camp.
A football team is a business, simply put. It is up to an owner to run all aspects as efficiently as possible. Managing a salary cap is one of those aspects. I’m not gonna nerd it up with facts and figures, but you only have so much to spend on 53 players. Some players are worth more than others. Owners have to figure out a way to field the most competitive team and still be within the cap. If there was no cap, Peyton Manning would still be a Colt. However, $28 million is a lot to guarantee someone who a) might not be the same player prior to the surgeries, b) might be rusty after a year long layoff, and c) will be 36 years old before training camp.
By all indications, Peyton
Manning’s career did not end with the Colts cutting him. He is free to sign
with another team and will probably take his time to research the best fit.
Finding NFL suitors won’t be an issue as few teams do not have a need for a QB
of this caliber (Giants, Eagles, Packers, Lions, Bears, Saints, Falcons,
Panthers, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Bengals, and Chargers should not be in
the market. Everyone else should have some interest.) At this point in his
career, Peyton doesn’t need the money. He just wants that second ring. He can’t
like the fact that Eli has one more than he does.
It is a sad day for Colts fans. For the last 14 years, they knew Peyton Manning as their quarterback. Before last season, he never missed a start. The 2011 season was supposed to be an aberration, not the beginning of the end. Now, a new man will take over as the face of the franchise. If I was a Colts fan, I’d definitely be down in the dumps. I’m just wouldn’t be surprised. At all. Sports is all about making money. If someone gets in the way of making money, they are expendable. And Peyton became expendable. There is no emotion when it comes to business. It’s black and white with no gray areas. While I understand it, I wish I didn’t. It was better when I was younger and more optimistic. Instead, I know what the bottom line is. Money talks, and Peyton walks.
-Written by Marcus Boyd It is a sad day for Colts fans. For the last 14 years, they knew Peyton Manning as their quarterback. Before last season, he never missed a start. The 2011 season was supposed to be an aberration, not the beginning of the end. Now, a new man will take over as the face of the franchise. If I was a Colts fan, I’d definitely be down in the dumps. I’m just wouldn’t be surprised. At all. Sports is all about making money. If someone gets in the way of making money, they are expendable. And Peyton became expendable. There is no emotion when it comes to business. It’s black and white with no gray areas. While I understand it, I wish I didn’t. It was better when I was younger and more optimistic. Instead, I know what the bottom line is. Money talks, and Peyton walks.
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