Weekly Sports Writer
Cleavie Wonder
Peyton Manning is the heart and soul of the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL's most marketable player. Since he's been sidelined with a neck injury the Colts have yet to win a game and the prognosis for his return this season looks bleak. The Colts may very well end up with the worst record in football and the #1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. What should they do with it?
Colts owner Jim Irsay has gone on record saying that Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck is a definite possibility if the opportunity presents itself. He used the examples of Steve Young sitting behind Joe Montana and Aaron Rodgers sitting behind Brett Favre to justify the decision.
This comes just four months after signing Peyton Manning to a 5 year $90,000,000 contract. Certainly it helps that under the new collective bargaining agreement there's a rookie salary cap, but how will Peyton feel about having to look over his shoulder all the time? How will Andrew Luck feel about holding a clipboard season after season?
Although the experiment worked in San Francisco and Green Bay, it wasn't easy. Both Young and Rodgers were beginning to lose patience towards the end and neither Montana or Favre went quietly. The quarterback controversy took on a life of its own in both cities and at times divided the clubhouse.
The Indianapolis Colts understand that NFL careers are fragile and an insurance policy is crucial to sustain a
prominent and promising future. The question is can you have too much of a good thing. If you drive a Rolls Royce do you really need a Bentley? If you have a condo on the beach would you buy the unit next door? If you're dating Halle Berry do you need Kim Kardashian's phone number? Its a difficult decision, but one the Colts may be forced to make. Stay tuned.
