Peyton Manning: Why Superstar QB Should Look Beyond Indianpolis Colts for 2012

Heading into the 2012 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts have a lot to think about, as does Peyton Manning. Since it is believed the Colts will select Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick, Manning needs to look elsewhere for 2012 and beyond. 

Manning's main goal is to get healthy enough to play, and it's unclear whether he will for 2012. This is just another reason he needs to try and get to a new team. The unknown will force the Colts to go with Luck, which should be the end of Manning in Indianapolis. 

The Colts have every right to focus on the future, and Luck will be a great addition to the team. He's praised as the next Manning, so drafting him is a no-brainer. 

Manning will be 36 years old next season. If he's able to play, he would of course beat out Luck. However, it would better serve him to move past Indianapolis and let the Colts go in a new direction. 

His father, Archie Manning, recently told the New York Post that his son wishes to stay in Indianapolis. 

"Peyton kind of likes his roots in Indy, " Archie Manning said. "We’ll see what happens there. If that doesn’t work and he can get healthy we’ll see. That’ll all work out. He’s just trying to get healthy.”

This is no surprise because he's spent his whole career there, but what does stand out from Archie's quote is the phrase "kind of." 

If true, that means he'd be open to playing with a different team. Archie could've said made a firmer statement about Peyton's feelings toward the Colts, but instead, he went with "kind of."

It's better to wait to here what Peyton himself as to say, but, surely, his father has talked to him some about it, so this is a statement worthy of consideration. 

The Jets have interest in Manning, but the chances of landing him are slim. 

The Colts have a chance to load up more talent by dealing Manning. Despite the unknown about his injury, teams will still jump at the chance to have one the league's most dangerous quarterbacks. 

He may have signed a contract extension this past offseason, but if the Colts do indeed take Luck, then the right thing to do would be to get rid of Manning. 

Peyton has done a lot for the Colts, but business is business. Since he is so talent, Manning would be able to win wherever he ended up at. The Colts would get a bunch of talent in return should they trade him, or they could just cut their losses and release him. 

Either way, Manning should know that his time is up with the Colts, and that playing with a different team in 2012 and beyond is his best option.