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What if Peyton Manning signed elsewhere?

       August 9th, 2011 11:18 AM
  • What-if-Peyton-Manning-signed-elsewhere
  • Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (18) during the 2011 AFC wild card playoff game against the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium.

    • A star player going into free agency is a big deal in any sport. Teams hardly ever let one of the biggest names in the league leave the team on their own terms. Whenever that seems imminent, a trade almost always comes into play. And when it doesn't, we end up with something like "The Decision" TV special. That being said, there wasn't much doubt that Peyton Manning was going to return to the Colts and finish his career in Indianapolis, but what if he didn't? What if instead of reading about teams picking up free agents, we were watching the next "Decision" on TV?

    Since Manning chose not to become the highest paid player in NFL history, let's assume he wouldn't be going to the highest bidder. So what teams would give Manning the best chance at a second Super Bowl (or at least be interesting)?

    New York Jets

    Manning is not only a great quarterback, but one of the best offensive play callers in NFL history. The King of Audibles recognizes defense and lets his entire offense know how to handle them on the spot, but you can't win championships with offense alone. That's where Rex Ryan and the Jets' defense come into play. Ryan's known for his defense-first coaching style and his ability to pick apart an offense. The two football geniuses usually go head-to-head in some of the best football imaginable, but if they could work together there might not be any team in the league that could stop them.

    Kansas City Chiefs

    The Colts offense is basically pass only. People really see Joseph Addai as the best blocking back available to the Colts, not the best point producing back, but what if Peyton Manning had a great running game to work with? The Chiefs led the league in rushing yards per game last season with RB Jamaal Charles and having another strategy to work with could open up the offense to more play action passes and toying with opposing defenses.

    The Chiefs couldn't match Manning's current arsenal of receivers, but Dwayne Bowe would make a great target. They might not be a championship winning combination, but it would be a new way of play that Manning hasn't been getting from the Colts and definitely something The Chiefs aren't getting from Matt Cassel.

    We now know neither of these match ups will ever happen with Manning's 5 year contract in Indy, but people that are more Manning fans than Colts fans should always wonder; "What if"

    What did you think? Leave a comment

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