Manning moving on

For the past 14 years, Peyton Manning has been the face of the franchise for the Indianapolis Colts.  After he was drafted in 1998, Manning took the reigns of the Colts offense from day one and held on through 13 seasons without ever missing a game.  Then came a devastating neck injury, which required four surgeries to repair and cost him the 2011 season.  Now everything has changed.

Now Peyton Manning is being cut by the only franchise he's ever known.

From the Colts perspective, this is a defensible business decision.  Manning will soon be 36 years old and is coming off a major neck injury that he's yet to prove he's fully recovered from.  Had they kept him on the roster any longer they would have owed him a $28 million bonus, which is a steep price to pay for any player, let alone one that may only be a shadow of his former self.  Another factor backing the team's decision is that last season's Manning-less disaster resulted in earning them the top pick in this year's draft, which they are almost certain to use on Andrew Luck.  Most scouts consider Luck to be a can't miss prospect, a future super star and perhaps the best QB prospect to enter the league since Manning himself.  The Colts are making the right choice by moving forward with a new face of the franchise.  One who is younger, cheaper and sets them up as a contender for at least another decade.

Of course, that doesn't make this news any easier to swallow for Colts fans.  For over a decade these fans have witnessed one of the all time greats rack up a boatload of accomplishments.  208 straight regular season starts, 141 career wins, 54,828 passing yards, 399 TDs, 4 MVP awards, two Super Bowl appearances and one championship ring.  If Manning is to add to those totals it will have to come in another team's uniform.

Now the question becomes, which uniform will that be?  For the first time in his career, Peyton Manning is a free agent.  He may be the biggest name to ever hit free agency and will have plenty of suitors.  Plenty of teams could use an upgrade at QB, but not every team would be a good fit.  Here are some of the teams that could take a shot at making Manning an offer he can't refuse.

Miami Dolphins
Pros: The QB position in Miami has been in a state of flux ever since Dan Marino retired over a decade ago.  Since then it's been a steady stream of mediocre talents that have failed to make the team a contender.  Manning could change all that.  The team already is armed with a Pro Bowl receiver in Brandon Marshall, a playmaking receiving threat out of the backfield in Reggie Bush, a sturdy offensive line and a solid defense.  Manning also already owns a house in Florida, so moving his family there should not be an issue.
Cons: A move back to the AFC East would mean once again sharing a division with Tom Brady.  Not only would he have to face the Patriots twice every year, but it creates a much tougher path to a division title and playoff spot than other options could provide.  Manning is a competitor and may welcome the challenge of facing his greatest rival, but knowing his window is quickly closing, he may be more inclined to find an easier path.

Washington Redskins
Pros: Owner Dan Snyder has never been shy about throwing money at big name free agents.  Considering Rex Grossman may be the best option they currently have on the roster, Manning would be an upgrade even if he's not fully back to his old self.
Cons: The offense isn't completely devoid of talent, but the weapons he'd have around him aren't great.  It's also less likely that Manning would be able to adapt to the Redskins style of offense, as Mike Shanahan and his offensive coordinator son Kyle aren't likely to allow Manning to control the offense the way he did in Indy.  You also have to consider that Manning may not be willing to play in the same division as his brother Eli, so a move to the NFC East where he'd face the Giants twice a year may not be ideal.

Arizona Cardinals
Pros: Arizona is a great warm weather city to live in and he'd get to play in a dome, which he's more comfortable in after spending his whole career playing in one with the Colts.  They also have one of the league's best receivers in Larry Fitzgerald.  Pairing those two together could produce explosive results.
Cons: The Cardinals paid a heavy price to trade for Kevin Kolb last year, then rewarded him with a big contract.  While he was a disappointment in an injury plagued season last year, it's too early to give up on him.  Signing Manning would be admitting that the Kolb trade was a mistake.

Kansas City Chiefs
Pros: The Chiefs were ravaged by injuries last year, but the prior season they were a playoff team and still have the talent to win their division with better health this season with their current roster.  Add Manning to the team in place of Matt Cassel and they appear to be nearly a lock to win the AFC West.  Denver won the division last year despite an 8-8 record, so this division appears more ready for the taking than any in the league.
Cons: Given how injuries derailed them last season, would they take a risk of Manning's health?  This team may already be good enough to win it's division without Manning.  If he's healthy he could make them a title contender, but it'd be a big risk, especially if it means they'd have to let Cassel go.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Pros: Blaine Gabbert doesn't appear to be the answer, but Manning could be.  The Jags have an underrated defense and one of the league's top rushing threats in Maurice Jones-Drew, who would help make things easier on Manning and the passing game.  Poor QB play has dragged the team down, but with an elite option running the offense they could become a surprise contender.
Cons: Their receivers are a bit underwhelming, so unless they can also add one of the available veteran receivers (Reggie Wayne?) then Manning may not be enticed by this offense.  He also may be hesitant to join another AFC South team that would place him in the same division as the Colts.

New York Jets
Pros: There's no bigger stage than New York, so the bright lights of the big city may draw Manning in after he's spent his career in Indiana.  They have a dominant defense, but inconsistent QB play derailed their playoff hopes and prevented them from reaching a third straight AFC championship game.  There are questions regarding if the team really thinks Mark Sanchez can be their franchise QB, especially after chemistry issues with Santonio Holmes was partly to blame for their late season collapse.  If they decide to move on from Sanchez then they won't find a better option than Manning without having to rebuild.
Cons: This is a long shot option due to the fact that the Jets don't have nearly enough cap room to sign Manning.  It's possible they could move some money around by restructuring some contracts or cutting some more players to make it happen, but it's unlikely.  A move to the Jets would also put Manning in the middle of cleaning up last year's mess, which is not something he'd likely want to be a part of.  He may also not be willing to share the stage in New York with Eli.  New York may be a big city, but is it big enough for two Mannings?  Plus, New York offers great marketing opportunities for it's players, so do we really want to see Peyton in more commercials?

You could probably add a half dozen other teams that could use Manning to upgrade their QB position, but these are the teams most likely to make a run at him.  Granted I have no insight into the thinking of Peyton Manning, but if I had to guess, I'd say he will probably end up in either Miami or Kansas City.  Those are the two options that make the most sense - both for Manning and for the team. 

Regardless of where he signs, we know it won't be with the Colts.  For the first time in his career, Peyton Manning will be taking the field for another team.  It remains to be seen how much Manning has left in the tank or how his recovery from his neck injuries will effect his production moving forward.  The team that signs him can only hope that Manning can be at least close to what he once was, while the Colts are left to only hope that their decision to let him go doesn't come back to haunt them.