Colts QB Peyton Manning Won't Push Back $28 Million Bonus

Earlier Wednesday on Sportscenter, it was announced by ESPN's Adam Schefter that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will not push back the $28 million roster bonus that he is due to receive on March 8th. He will not allow his contract to be restructured at all by the Colts, even after missing the entire 2011 NFL season because of an injury. The Colts have already announced that they will not trade Peyton Manning, so the options before them seem to be either keeping Manning as is with his large contract untouched or simply release him and allow teams to pick him up in free agency later. Owner Jim Irsay has also said that if Manning were healthy, he would be the QB played but with Manning at an advancing age and after an entire season off it's never going to be completely certain that he is healthy.

Source: SBNation.com

 

Good call on his part.

 

Interesting...

 

all of this talk about the colts releasing a healthy peyton is just goobered. if the dude is healthy enough to still play football, they will trade him. teams will give up a fortune of draft picks for 2 or 3 years of peyton if he's healthy.

I GUARANTEE teams like the Jets, Cards, Phins, Skins who feel they are just a stud QB away from winning it all have already called the Colts and are offering multiple first round picks. Hell, what do teams give up for guys like Schaub and Kolb that we don't even know anything about but 'might' have a chance of being good?

For a team that feels they only have a 2 or 3 year window to get it done, it's a no-brainer to give the Colts a ton of draft picks for a guy like Peyton, if he's healthy.

 

If he's healthy, why even trade him?

 

well, i agree. everyone keeps talking about peyton ending up playing for a different team in the fall but I just really don't see that happening. I think there are 2 scenarios that are the overwhelming likelihood:

1) he stays with the colts and plays for a couple of more years and then andrew luck takes over when peyton hangs it up.
2) he retires right now due to health

I think the possibility of one of these 2 scenarios being reality is about 95% yet people are still talking about peyton being released or being traded, which just isn't very likely.

 

If he's healthy I would keep him too. It works out best for the present and the future. There's no better guy for Andrew Luck to learn from for a year or 2. Let him sit behind Peyton and learn how to be a pro. Then if Peyton retires after next year or 2 years, start luck. If Peyton wants to play more than 2 more years, though, I would trade him after that. You can't sit Luck forever.

 

Problem is...come March 8th, you won't know if he is healthy. The Colts won't be able to trade him by then...who is going to tack on that contract and the question marks around his health...including the Colts.

Ultimately because of the question marks around his health and the amount of money they are looking at in the roster bonus, I think it's almost a guarantee that he gets cut.

Initially, I thought they would agree to push his bonus back a little, but if this report is true, I can't see how the Colts can make the decision to keep him...and justify that it's a good decision.

 

Rob Lowe has the inside scoop............:icon_cool:

 

they can't trade him before march 8th? the trade period doesn't start until after then?

 

I'm not sure if they can or cannot as far as rules go. But what team is going to trade for a QB with a hefty contract and not know if he's healthy?

 

League year starts on the 13th I think, so can't trade him before that.

& FWIW, when Schefter said this, I believe it was: "There's no reason for Peyton to push the date back" Not that he had talked to Payton and Peyton said he wouldn't push it back.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the new collective bargaining agreement prevent Manning from moving the date? If that is the case, it is not in his power to do so.

 

yes, obviously a team is not going to give up draft picks without a significant series of medical exams and tests.

The scenario I'm talking about is IF he is o.k. to play, I don't see how the Colts just outright release the guy but there are a LOT of people saying that the Colts are going to release the guy even if he's still planning on playing a few more years ............ that, to me, makes no sense at all. If he's healthy, he still holds a TON of value to the Colts.

If he is NOT o.k. to play, then he will retire and it's the end of the story.

 

But here are so many questions surrounding that neck injury, even if he passes his physicals and is cleared to play, is a team going to pay that money for that "risk?". When they could most likely wait and pay the money and keep the picks and then take the same risk?

 

well, yes, it's $28 mill but let's look at it this way .............. if draft picks became available for 'sale' to nfl teams, how much would a team pay in cash for multiple high draft picks?

I would say teams would easily pay $28 mill for two or three extra 1st round picks over the next few years, ESPECIALLY with the new rookie salary caps ........ with the new cba, high draft picks are going to be more valuable than ever ........ if the colts are planning on trading manning and can't get it done in time, they would pay the $28 mill to keep his rights and get those high draft picks in my opinion .................

 

But is a team willing to give up this draft picks worth "$28M" to take a chance on a guy with multiple neck surgeries and a year removed from the playing field in addition to his contract?

 

absolutely, if i were the jets or cards or phins and felt like i was a QB away from a SB and Peyton passed all of my doctors tests and physicals, you bet your sweet butt i would easily give two first rounders and I would even be willing to give a 3rd to the colts if peyton won me a super bowl.

 

I think the Chiefs are a QB away too, but realistically, they'd never do it.