Yesterday was an emotional day for NFL fans — particularly fans of the Indianapolis Colts.
Peyton Manning, the star quarterback who led his team to a 2006 Superbowl win during his illustrious 14 year career, was released by the Colts and is now free to play elsewhere.
The “divorce” between Manning and Indianapolis was not a negative one, but rather a necessary one. If the Colts had not released Manning before today, they would have been on the hook to pay him a $28. million dollar bonus. Manning missed all of last season due to injury and even had neck and vertebrae surgery. At the age of 35, ownership reached the very difficult decision that it was probably not a smart move to invest any further into the man who revived the lowly Colts and made them champions, so he was released.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay held a tearful news conference, frequently getting choked up while thanking Manning for his 14 year dedication to the team and announcing his #18 jersey will now be retired. Manning also followed up with a tearful goodbye of his own, thanking the owner and the team for always standing by him and for giving him the opportunity of a lifetime. “I don’t want to retire,” he said emphatically. “I don’t feel like I have anything to prove. But nobody loves their job more than I do. I still want to play.”
Manning is now free to sign with any team of his choosing. A variety of teams are already vying for his services, including the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. But with his brother and Superbowl MVP Eli Manning already playing with the championship New York Giants, it’s very unlikely Peyton would choose New York to compete against his own brother in the same market.
Manning’s next move is now a topic of great discussion and speculation. “Whoever gets him will be in the Super Bowl within three years,” said ESPN’s Trent Dilfer, a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback. “You go from good to great the first time he walks into the complex, because there’s suddenly heightened awareness that the most demanding player in the NFL is playing for your team.”
The truth is, the only time I'm inclined to pay even the slightest bit of attention to what's going on in the NFL is during Super Bowl…and even then it's only durng the 4th quarter, if at all.But certain athletes trascend their profession and are recognized for being a classy, thoughtful, and all-round good person, in addition to having superior athletic skills. By most accounts, Peyton falls into that special category.However, I honestly wish he would've chosen to retire rather than risk possibly suffering another injury to his neck. I'm a woman and We tend to be a litttle more sensitive about things like that.