Peyton Manning: Does Jim Caldwell Firing Signal End of Manning's Career?

This is total speculation, but with living and following the Indianapolis Colts since I was little, I think the Peyton Manning era is over. I honestly thought until 2 p.m. today that Manning and Andrew Luck would coexist until Manning was ready to retire. Now, I'm finally coming around that it's really the end.

The announcement that Jim Caldwell would be fired and the news leaking that the Colts would take Luck No. 1 overall pretty much told us all what we need to know without making a huge announcement.

I reported it here first during the Dec. 22nd Thursday Night Football game against the Houston Texans that the Colts were going to keep Manning next season. Jim Irsay made that very clear on the pregame show. With the Colts cleaning house and firing Caldwell 17 days after the season is over, it means Manning is probably done not just as a Colt, but for good.

I don't think the Colts would get rid of Manning if he was healthy. I really don't. I think they must have received some news today revealing he's not going to be healthy. I think that could be a factor in this decision to get rid of Caldwell.

I'll be the first to admit that I thought we should have gotten rid of Caldwell a long time ago. The man didn't look like he knew what he was doing, and went 26-22 including the 2-2 career playoff record here.

But If you step back and now look at it, why would we keep Manning and then why pay all that money to buy out every coach's contract, fire the GM and start over with a new team? That doesn't make any sense.

Why then say today you're going to draft Luck?

Also, why did new the GM keep saying "new era of Colts football"? It's not a new era if you don't think you're going to take a step backwards. It's not rebuilding if you're keeping the core of your franchise.

Do you honestly think Manning's going to want to come back after taking a year off to play in a whole new system? He's played in this system since 2002 and nearing the end of his career—why learn something new?

With what Manning's dad Archie said on a radio show last week, I think this is all a sign that the Manning and the once-dominant Colts era is done.

I could be wrong, but why do all of this if you're going to keep Manning?