2012 NFL Draft: Why Colts Must Prioritize Andrew Luck over Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning is perhaps the best quarterback in NFL history, but it's time for the Colts to fully embrace the Andrew Luck era.

Indianapolis lost to Jacksonville 19-13 in Week 17 to lock up the No. 1 pick in the 2012. They finished the season 2-14.

The Colts are now faced with two decisions: one easy and one hard.

The easy one is to draft Andrew Luck. The junior from Stanford has been sitting atop draft boards for over a year now and has all the tools to be one of the NFL's best quarterbacks. 

His physical attributes are perfect. He stands at 6'4", 235 pounds and has more than enough athleticism to survive in the NFL. He has a cannon for an arm and can thread the ball through the slightest of openings.

He also has the mental toughness that's required to be an elite NFL quarterback. He's been running a pro-style offense at Stanford, showing off his exceptional instincts and leadership ability in every game. 

Luck is a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback and the Colts would be foolish to pass him up.

They would also be foolish to keep Manning around. It's an incredibly tough decision and the situation must be handled delicately, but the Colts can't afford to keep him on the roster.

Manning is owed a $28 million bonus before the start of next season. If the Colts don't release or trade him, they will cripple their financial flexibility.

It's never easy to part ways with an elite quarterback—especially when he's the best player in the history of your franchise—but the Colts aren't going anywhere next year and the future of their team is dependent on Luck's development.

Colts owner Jim Isray has said that Manning will return next season, regardless of the financial implications. 

But if he wants to have a successful team in the future, he'll need to rethink that statement.