Colts in Danger?

Now Colt fans, do not condemn me for saying this but I feel that is the 800 pound gorilla that no one wants to acknowledge- Peyton Manning is not a God.

There, I said it. Hate me if you must.

Manning will undoubtedly go down in the record books as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever pick up the pigskin. That goes without saying, but with the state of the league currently in love with the pass a team has to be prepared for their leading man to no longer lead.

The average age for a quarterback to retire in the NFL is 38; that gives Manning five more years of domination. However, the Colts need to consider a few variables that even Peyton does not know:

Does he feel like playing that long? Many players have been known to set in their minds at the beginning of their careers when the want to retire, typically before their bodies get broken down by injury. San Francisco wide receiver John Taylor had a set number in mind when he began playing and stuck to it even though he could have easily continued playing. Robert Smith retired from the Vikings after the 2000 season even though he had just completed the best season of his career (and was lined up for a tremendous pay day), What’s to say that Peyton wants to wait till his body breaks before hanging it up.

What about the injury bug? Peyton has been lucky throughout his career. Having an offense of line like he has certainly helps keep a guy healthy too. The last regular seaon games proved that if Peyton were to be lost to the Colts the team would be screwed.

The potential for a lockout has to be a concern as well. A player that is nearing the end of his career does not want one of the few years he has left wasted; some might even consider it a sign that they should hang it up even and let the next superstar have his chance.

We can talk about what a competitor the guy is, but Peyton has also proven he is no dummie either. No player wants to have a tough time walking up stairs or feel their knees ache when the weather turns bad. With his personality he is a shoe-in to have a career in the broadcast booth when he does stop.

So Mr. Polian, I hope your looking for the next great quarterback. We don’t need him right now, but better to find him while we don’t, right?