Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay illustrated why Peyton Manning would be a good fit in Washington. “Whenever [Indianapolis] went on the road, the circus was coming to town and Peyton was the ring leader,” Irsay said.
Minus the guy in the top hat, that sure sounds like a description of the Redskins in the 13 years Dan Snyder has owned the team. Clowns have come and gone by the carloads.
During a classy and emotional news conference Wednesday, Manning said he hadn’t considered where he would play next. Nobody believes that any more than they believe Irsay that Manning’s release wasn’t about the $28 million bonus.
At least Irsay gave Manning a lovely parting gift. His jersey number will be retired. Irsay just wishes he could afford to keep the future Hall of Famer from donning someone else’s uniform.
Irsay said he hopes Manning does well, but that’s not really true. This is a big move. Sure, pending first-round pick Andrew Luck lessens the risk. But Irsay might want to keep the team’s old late-night moving vans handy.
The NFL is about money and productivity. Green Bay let Brett Favre go when the future Hall of Famer wanted to stay. He was mediocre with the Jets and played well in his first year with the Vikings before fading badly in the next.
Philadelphia traded Donovan McNabb, who led it to five NFC Championship games. The Eagles knew McNabb was done at age 33 and suckered the Redskins into a trade. Teams are so desperate for quarterbacks that Washington then suckered Minnesota into a deal despite McNabb’s meltdown.
Redskins cornerback Darrell Green blocked coach Marty Schottenheimer’s plan to cut him during the 2001 training camp by announcing it would be his farewell tour. Schottenheimer couldn’t release the beloved player then. The moment Schottenheimer was fired that January, Green announced he was returning for one more year. Nobody walks away easily.
“That’s the reality of playing in the NFL,” Manning said of difficult departures.
Future Hall of Famers are easily discarded, so imagine how journeyman players exit. The average career is only four years.
Now it’s Manning’s turn. He conceded he was uncertain how to proceed as a free agent after 14 years in Indianapolis. The Colts owe him everything, including their new stadium that hosted the Super Bowl last month. Indeed, the franchise might have moved to Los Angeles without Manning’s success.
Manning will have plenty of seekers. Washington certainly will be among the interested teams even if signing him would derail the “rebuilding” process of the past two decades.
Manning will learn that nobody truly loves a player like his first team. He’s now a stopgap mercenary for his next employer.
The Colts once traded Johnny Unitas, one of the NFL’s greatest players, to San Diego for his final season. Now they have released his true successor and will draft supposedly the best college passer in a generation.
One day, Luck will learn what Unitas and Manning learned: It’s a business, not a game.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
