Let the Peyton Manning sweepstakes begin, and make no mistake, the Jets will be entrants.
The Indianapolis Colts reportedly will cut the four-time MVP quarterback at a press conference today, setting off a free-agency frenzy for his services.
The Jets will be right in the middle of it. A source said last night the Jets definitely will explore the possibility of signing Manning. The team needs to see how healthy he is coming off neck surgery before deciding its level of commitment, but it will be in the mix.
If it makes this kind of seismic move, it will completely alter the franchise. Owner Woody Johnson showed his penchant for the splashy acquisition in 2008 when the Jets traded for Brett Favre. This feels very similar.
But the Jets did not have a third-year quarterback they drafted in the first round when they went all in for Favre. Sign Manning and that likely spells the end for Mark Sanchez, whom they drafted with the fifth pick in 2009 (after the Favre failure). It has been suggested Sanchez could sit behind Manning for two years, but it would be tough for Sanchez to deal with that after leading the team to the AFC title game in his first two seasons.
Manning does not come without questions. He turns 36 this month and missed the 2011 season with a neck problem that required multiple surgeries.
“It’s certainly not a slam dunk,” one AFC executive said last night. “I think everybody would like to believe they’re getting what he was and maybe they will and maybe they won’t. I think it’s a risk. You have to see enough throwing to know that he could do it.”
ESPN reported the Colts will announce Manning’s release today at a press conference that both Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay will attend. The team had to decide this week whether to pick up the quarterback’s $28 million option that kicked in the next four years of his contract, or let him go. The Colts apparently decided that was too much to pay for a quarterback with health concerns, especially because they have the No. 1 pick in next month’s NFL Draft and are expected to select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Manning and Irsay returned to Indianapolis together on a plane last night. Manning spoke briefly to reporters at the Indianapolis airport but did not address questions about his future.
“We’ll see y’all tomorrow,” Manning said. “We’re good. We’ll talk tomorrow. We’ll do it all right tomorrow.”
The next step likely will be a showcase of some sort for interested teams. No one has seen Manning throw a pass since the Jets knocked the Colts out of the playoffs in January 2011. If Manning can prove he is healthy, it should set off a bidding war.
“He’s pretty damn good when he’s going and I can imagine some teams seeing him as a big upgrade,” the AFC executive said.
The Jets are expected to fight for his services with the Dolphins, Redskins, Seahawks, Cardinals and Chiefs.
The bigger question than how interested the Jets are in Manning is how interested Manning is in the Jets.
Manning has not commented on any potential destinations since he has been under contract. That has not stopped a guessing game about what he is looking for in a new team.
The Jets might be appealing because they are viewed as a team that could contend for the Super Bowl. Jets coach Rex Ryan also is sure to make a big pitch if the team decides it wants to sign Manning.
But there are questions whether Manning would want to play in the same city as his younger brother Eli, who just led the Giants to the Super Bowl XLVI title. Other potential turnoffs for Peyton Manning include: the large media market, cold weather home games, facing Tom Brady and the Patriots twice a year, and the circus the Jets became at the end of 2011.
With AP