I never thought I would ever say this, but the Colts have to let Peyton Manning go.
For 14 years, Manning has been the face of the franchise for the Indianapolis Colts and it was a great run. But it has to end sometime and Manning will be 36 by the time the 2012 season starts. In the twilight of his career and due $23 million.
The Colts would be wise to put sentiment in the rear-view mirror and look to the future. There is only one prudent move to make on Draft Day: Take Andrew Luck.
He is the clear-cut #1 player in everyone's eyes and a franchise quarterback. He is Peyton Manning only 14 years younger.
Translation: Luck is the future. Peyton is the past.
As for the present, that could still be Manning. But we do not know that. We do not know if he will ever be healthy enough to be the same go who won multiple MVPs. The Colts could choose to draft Luck and keep Manning, then have Luck learn from the future Hall of Famer much like Aaron Rogers sat behind Brett Favre in Green Bay.
But that would be a very expensive tutorial too. It is probably in the best interest of the franchise to let Manning go altogether. As hard as that is to fathom. He’s no longer worth what they are paying him, so it is hard to imagine they could trade him.
What the Colts definitely cannot afford to do, is let their next franchise player slip through their fingers for the sake of hanging onto the past. The Colts do not owe Peyton Manning anything.
Guys like Manning do not come around very often and there is a guy just like him just waiting for the Colts to call his name. Indy should take him while he is there. They should draft Andrew Luck.
