The Jets wasted no time jumping into the Peyton Manning fray today, placing a call to his representatives shortly after the star quarterback became a free agent, according to a source.
The Colts released Manning this afternoon and he appeared on the league waiver wire shortly after 4 p.m. The Jets reached out to gauge Manning’s interest a short time later.
The Dolphins, Seahawks, Cardinals, Chiefs, Broncos and Redskins are all expected to pursue Manning as well.
In a press conference earlier today, Manning, who struggled to fight back tears, thanked Colts owner Irsay and the Colts themselves as well as the city of Indianapolis, but said “nothing lasts forever.”
“I’ve been a Colt for almost my entire adult life, but as we all know in life, and in sports, nothing lasts forever,” Manning said. “I sure have loved playing football for the Indianapolis Colts. It truly has been an honor to play in Indianapolis. I do love it here, I love the fans, I will leave the Colts with nothing but good thoughts and gratitude. I truly have enjoyed being your quarterback.”
The announcement brings to an end the saga surrounding Manning and whether or not he would play in Indianapolis this season. Manning has played for the Colts for his entire 14-year career and is the franchise’s leader in wins (141), completions (4,682), yards (54,828) and TDs (399).
“I know in my heart and the hearts of our fans [Manning’s accomplishments are] unparalleled for the Colts,” Irsay said. “The No. 18 jersey will never be worn again by a Colt on the field. There will be no other Peyton Manning.”
The Colts needed to make a decision on Manning before Thursday, when the soon-to-be 36-year-old was due a $28 million signing bonus. Manning missed the entire 2011 season recovering from a neck injury that required four surgeries.
“In the end, before we ever go into any specifics, it’s never been about money,” Irsay said. “It’s never been about those type of things.”
Indianapolis owns the first selection in next month’s NFL Draft and is expected to pick Stanford QB Andrew Luck, something that likely factored into the team’s decision to release Manning.
Manning and Irsay each maintained the difficult dialogue was open throughout the entire process.