By: Nicole McAdam
As cliché as that saying may be, it accurately describes the outcome of the events that transpired over the last few days and resulted in today’s press conference at Lucas Oil Stadium.
After months of posturing and shots fired back and forth, the inevitable – yet somewhat unthinkable – happened: the Indianapolis Colts released Peyton Manning.
Yes, the former number 1 draft pick and future first ballot Hall of Famer was released by the very franchise that he helped rebuild. Fourteen years, 4 league MVP’s, a Super Bowl victory, 54,828 yards and 399 touchdowns later, Peyton Manning is no longer a Colt.
It looks so strange when I write it, even stranger to hear it.
From the sound of Manning’s cracking voice this afternoon, you have to believe they were words he never expected to hear either. Most professional athletes would love to spend their entire career in one city – with one franchise – but it very rarely happens. Peyton Manning is the type of athlete that you’d expect to be among that rare group, but today proved that would not be the case.
Manning said it best this afternoon when he said, “In life and in sports, nothing lasts forever. Times change, circumstances change, and that’s the reality of the NFL.”
As much as some members of the media and – in all likelihood – a portion of the Indianapolis fan base will choose to vilify Jim Irsay for his decision, time and circumstance played the largest roles in this outcome. Despite his obvious disappointment, even Manning was smart enough to realize that.
Had Manning been healthy and not recovering from his fourth neck surgery in the last 19 months, his ability would never have been in question. Had Manning played this past season, Indy likely wouldn’t have finished 2-14 and wound up with the first pick in April’s draft. If Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III weren’t entering the draft, this conversation may never have happened. These are all circumstances that ultimately factored into the decision to release Manning.
Yes, despite what Manning and Irsay wanted you to believe today, the $28 million bonus most certainly played into the decision as well. With all of the questions surrounding Manning’s durability and ability to perform at the level we’ve become accustomed to seeing, one could understand the difficulty an owner would face in paying a soon-to-be 36 year old with significant neck injuries $32 million and change for the upcoming season. Especially when the next “sure thing” at quarterback is sitting there, waiting to be selected with Indy’s number one pick.
Simply put: it was a business decision.
As poorly as Irsay handled this situation all along, he at least deserves a little credit for doing what he truly believes is best for his team in the long run. Peyton Manning is a football legend and loved by the people of Indianapolis for what he did both on and off of the football field so it’s easy to focus more on the immediate negative than the long term positive that could come out of this. Although there are no guarantees – which Manning, himself, can attest to – Jim Irsay is doing what he believes is in the best interest of his business for the future. While it’s easy to criticize the way he handled the situation, it’s hard to fault a man for trying to run a business. And at the end of the day, the NFL is just that.
In no time at all the media will forget this ever happened and turn their attention back to Bountygate, Manning will sign a new contract elsewhere and the Colts organization will be signing free agents and preparing for the upcoming draft.
Colts’ fans, however, will likely continue to mull over the events of this afternoon for quite some time. The first Sunday that #18 takes the field in a new city, wearing a new uniform, will be their first dose of reality. I suspect it will be a somewhat surreal moment for football fans everywhere, regardless of their allegiance.
Now that the smoke has cleared and a decision has been made, no more speculation can be made. As hard as it may be to believe, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have parted ways. Although they share many wonderful memories, this chapter has ended and it’s on to the next.