You are going to see 100s of articles over the next couple of weeks about where Peyton Manning might play next year.
Miami, Arizona, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Kansas City and etc.
I will probably write a few of those articles, but to be honest it is just filler information. No one will know for sure where Peyton will sign until he does, but until then the speculation will be rampant.
Fans and teams will all be thinking the same thing………
“If we get Peyton Manning we can win a Championship.”
Considering some of the horrid quarterback play in the NFL, I can see why people would be excited. There isn’t many times a quarterback of Manning’s caliber is available on the free market.
A team will throw a big money contract at Manning, the fans will rejoice and the current starting quarterback will be salty.
All good right?
Well……………
People are overlooking some things that could derail that Championship train.
4 NECK SURGERIES
WILL BE 36 YEARS OLD BY START OF NEXT SEASON
HASN’T PLAY IN AN NFL GAME SINCE JANUARY 8TH 2010
Everyone is caught up in the hype of Peyton Manning being a free agent, but what Peyton are you getting? It would be naive to assume that Manning will ever be the same. You aren’t getting the 2006 version of Peyton Manning.
He will never be 100% healthy.
If you tear your ACL you can come back and be effective. Your knee might be 99%, but never 100%. After four neck surgeries, you can’t expect Manning to be the same.
The question begs what percent are you getting?
80%
60%
25%
Also, what is Manning’s mental state? He may be able to pass with shorts and a helmet on, but what happens in a real game when DeMarcus Ware is coming off that edge?
If his arm strength is only 90% of what it use to be, does that out route he use to complete so easily become a pick 6 for Darrelle Revis?
This is a risk/reward situation.
I know it is Peyton Manning, but in my opinion there are far more negatives that positives. The positives are coming just from the name Manning.
But if you strip away the name and just see the situation, how many quarterbacks would you trust with your franchise who are 36, coming off 4 neck surgeries and haven’t played meaningful football in 18 months? What other quarterbacks in the history of the NFL has had a successful comeback from anything even remotely similar to this, even with a pedigree like Manning?
Teams are desperate and the marketing boost will be substantial.
Maybe a 60% Manning is better than a 100% Tavaris Jackson, but do you sacrifice the future of your franchise on that hope?
Proceed with caution.