Where should Peyton go?
Peyton Manning's emotional farewell. (Hiphopstan)
It’s official, Peyton Manning is no longer a member of the Indianapolis Colts. So, what’s next? Peyton has stated that he wants to continue to play in the NFL.
After some thought I thought of 12 possible teams would be the best fit for Peyton.
Note the man whose insider knowledge is unquestioned, Adam Schefter, has said that the final four teams are the Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins and Redskins.
These are my rankings 1-12.
Peyton teamed up with the likes of Andre Johnson would make the Texans a Superbowl favorite.
There are many reasons why this would be a great match for Peyton. First he gets to face the Colts two times a year. Plus with Peyton as their starting quarterback Texans would be the Superbowl favorites having an elite running back in Arian Foster, an elite wide receiver in Andre Johnson, a great offensive line and a top-level defense.
Their current starting quarterback, Matt Schaub, is injury prone and they like their back-up Tyler Yates. If they sign Peyton and he gets hurt at least they have confidence in their back-up which is a lot more than other teams can say. This would be the ideal landing spot for Peyton. And they play in a dome!
Note: Texans said they wont pursue Manning.
A lot of people believe this is the best place for Peyton to play. There is definitely some appeal here for both sides. Alex Smith had a great season last year, but he’s not Peyton Manning- so they’d be a massive upgrade at quarterback. The 49ers already have an elite defense, a very good offensive line and good running backs. They don’t have an Andre Johnson, but Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are willing to follow Peyton to his next location. Plus Jim Harbaugh is an offensive mind that Peyton would respect and they play in a horrible division, so the playoffs would be a mere formality.
The only negatives are the it’s windy in San Francisco and their stadium is awful. This should be Peyton’s #2 option after Houston.
Great weather. Their owner has already stated that he’d do anything to sign Peyton. Peyton already has a place in South Beach. The Dolphins have a top-level wide receiver in Brandon Marshall, a surprisingly effective rushing attack led by Reggie Bush and a very solid defense.
The downfall here is that owner is known to be a bit of a headcase.
I seriously hope he doesn’t go to the Redskins. Mike Shanahan is said to regard Peyton as the greatest quarterback of all-time, I can’t argue there. Daniel Synder, the Redskins owner, is known at making big time moves (ie: Albert Haynesworth). Unlike Donovan McNabb, Shanahan seems to be willing to give Peyton a lot more say in running the offense. The parts aren’t bare for the Redskins, but there are definitely more talented teams which Peyton can join.
I see two major issues here. One being I don’t see Peyton wanting to face his little brother Eli twice a year. The second being Mike Shanahan is a control freak, that’s not going to change-this will ultimately lead to a power struggle at some point.
Will Peyton put an end to Tebowmania? (Business Insider)
t’s hard not to laugh at this notion. The Broncos have some pieces, depending on who you ask Tim Tebow is one of them. John Elway would be more comfortable in having a prototypical quarterback such as Peyton. For all the Tebow fans, they should be able to accept the fact that Peyton is a better quarterback.
I just don’t see this happening. Peyton wouldn’t want to come to the home of Tebowmania plus it snows there, screw that!
Well, the Seahawks are desperately in the need of the quarterback. They have a good running back in Marshawn “skittles” Lynch, but besides that there isn’t much there. I doubt Peyton would be very fond of the coaching staff which includes Tom Cable. The weather isn’t ideal. He would have to face the 49ers defense twice a year which isn’t appealing to someone coming off of neck surgery.
Will Peyton finally make the Jets seek a better option than Sanchez (NY Post)?
This is an intriguing prospect for Peyton. Rex Ryan is a players coach who wouldn’t have an issue ceding power to Peyton. The Jets have a solid, not great, defense. They have talent on the offensive end, with a decent o-line, Dustin Keller, and Santonio Holmes (when his heads right is a good player.)
However, there are many reasons why this wouldn’t be a good marriage. First the Jets might be skeptical after their Brett Favre disaster. I don’t see Peyton wanting to play in the biggest media market in the country. This reeks of a train wreck waiting to happen. Don’t do it Peyton!
This is another intriguing prospect for Peyton. Like Rex Ryan, Ken Whisenhunt is a players coach- he does have a good offensive mind (ask Kurt Warner and Big Ben.) The Cardinals have a pretty decent defense and one of the top, if not the top, receiver in football Larry Fitzgerald.
However, the negative here definitely outweighs the positive. The Cardinals have a shaky offensive line which isn’t good news when you have to face the 49ers twice a year. But, the biggest reason this isn’t going to happen is Cardinals management, they’re notoriously cheap. They just gave Kevin Kolb a 5 year/$63 million contract with a $21 million signing bonus. I just don’t see them pulling the trigger on a 36-year-old quarterback coming off of multiple neck surgeries. Next.
I am grasping at straws here. Peyton would get to face the Colts twice and he would have Maurice Jones Drew. The new Jaguars owner wants to make a splash; however this isn’t going to happen. Next.
Another long shot which I am only mentioning because the Chiefs head coach said that they’d be crazy not to look at a player like Peyton. However, there are many red flags here, one being their new offensive coordinator wasn’t respected by Colt McCoy, enough said. Two, Scott Pioli is another control freak who wouldn’t be willing to give Peyton the control he desires. Three, their offensive line isn’t good enough. Just isn’t going to happen. Next.
11. Cleveland Browns
No shot! But the Browns do need a quarterback. The Browns offensive coordinator, Brad Childress, and Peyton would be a terrible match, Brett Favre has said that Childress knows nothing about offense. Childress is a stubborn and talkative man, this would equate to a disaster, plus he’d have to face the Steelers, Ravens, and the up and coming Bengals twice each. Next!
12. Buffalo Bills
Hahahahahahaha. Not happening.
Posted on March 8, 2012, in Fantasy, Sports and tagged Arizona Cardinals, Eli Manning, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Mike Shanahan, New York Jets, NFL, Offense, Peyton, Peyton Manning, Redskins, San Francisco 49ers. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
Of your 1 teams, I can only see 2 strong possibilities; Miami, and S.F. Miami will throw Manning the most $$ but if he wants the best chance of winning something then S.F. would be the choice here. Also, should anything happen to Peyton, there is an able backup in S.F. in Colin Kaepernick who the Niners drafted in the 2nd round last year.
As far as Wayne and Garcon following Peyton, are there any teams that could afford to sign all three of them?
Well most teams would probably be able to sign one of them. Wayne looks like a great match for Miami, I think the realistic favorite is Miami which would be nice Manning vs. Brady twice a season. Like S.F. Miami has an able back-up, Matt Moore played well at the end of last season. I am excited to see where #18 goes because I will be rooting for them! Thanks for the comment.
So will I…
Great post! Happy to see you mention my Browns. I couldn’t put them on my list, because I’m a known Browns fans and I might have gotten attacked, because there is no way possible he goes to the Browns.
My top 3 teams the he’d land with are the Vikings, Cardinals and Dolphins. He would team with either AP, Fitzgerald or Brandon Marshall. Plus the Vikings have a top pick and could possibly sign Wayne as well. Any of those teams can become legit contenders with Peyton.
I don’t see the Vikings because they seem themselves in rebuilding mode and like Ponder. They don’t want to pick up another old qb (i.e. Favre and McNabb) because they’re not nearly as talented now as they were then. As for the Cardinals, on paper they look nice but their own is notoriously cheap and I don’t see them willing to spend a lot of money on Peyton after signing Kolb last year. We’ll see soon where he decides to go! Thanks for your comment.
Thank you! I appreciate it. As far as the Vikings, does anyone really see AP wanting to stay when his contract is up? Have to give him something to work with.
Well AP signed a contract extension last year and he’s under contract through 2017, so he’s stuck for the long haul.
I think he’ll hold out or request a trade if they continue to lose. Just my opinion though.