Peyton Manning: Colts Firing Polians Makes Situation Worse in Indy

The Indianapolis Colts fired longtime vice president Bill Polian and his son and general manager Chris Polian on Monday after a 2-14 season.

Now quarterback Peyton Manning is speaking out.

And that's not a good sign.

Said Manning after Bill's firing, via the Indianapolis Star:

"

"I was surprised, shocked, disappointed."

"It's a sad day, and it's the worst part about this business. I'm sorry that it went down this way. I always thought Bill and I might retire around the same time. You kind of hoped for that fairy-tale ending, after winning a Super Bowl."

"

If the Colts think they made matters better by firing the Polians, they have another thing coming. Manning and Polian had developed an unmistakable bond since Polian drafted him in the 1998 NFL draft. You can tell by Manning's words that he was close with Polian. The word "disappointment" rings truest.

This sounds like Manning wasn't even consulted before the Polians were fired. That's simply inexcusable by Colts management. When you have a quarterback like Manning who has earned you a Super Bowl and is a future Hall of Famer, the least you can do is give him some say in his final years with the team.

Manning has a right to be frustrated. In fact, he should be downright furious. After all Polian has done throughout the years for this franchise, they dump him after one bad season when they had a string of backups trying to be starting quarterbacks. On top of that, the roster as a whole was obviously in rebuilding mode.

Said Manning, via the Star:

"

"I'd be the first to tell you that had Bill not been here when I was coming out for the draft, I'm not sure how I would have felt about coming to Indianapolis. He was just an unbelievable draw to come play for the Indianapolis Colts. To me, he defines loyalty. I'll be forever indebted for what he did for me and my career."

"

The Colts, in turn, should have been loyal to Polian and Manning.

Instead, they've decided to panic after their first losing season in 10 years.