Peyton Manning Retirement Rumors: Latest Chatter Around Star QB's NFL Future

Peyton Manning’s health and future football have been a major point of discussion during the entirety of the 2011-12 NFL season. It may be all for naught if the legendary Indianapolis Colts’ QB decides to hang up his boots.

According to a report by Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole,

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The nerves in Manning’s arm are not healing as quickly as hoped and, worse, don’t appear to be progressing at enough of a rate to indicate that he will play again, according to two sources with knowledge of Manning’s rehabilitation from neck surgery. The vertebrae in his neck that were fused have healed as expected and Manning began throwing in December. But he hasn’t shown improvement in velocity on his passes, and the two sources fear he likely never will again.

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The grave news continued.

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In addition, two league-affiliated doctors with experience in spinal fusion surgery said it could take up to a year before Manning knows if he can return. Both said the risk is too great for Manning to play again and, because of the timeline, neither would recommend the Colts pay Manning the $28 million bonus he is owed in March.

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This is awful news for Colts fans, Manning supporters and those who just admire someone playing his position at the highest level.

It also stings for fans of other teams who were hoping they would sign the 35-year-old.

Jeff McLane, a Philadelphia Inquirer beat reporter, was thinking the Eagles would have been a good fit.

Clay Travis pointed out that Titans fans have started an Internet campaign to try to get Manning back to Tennessee if he is cut.

They include also some great videos such as this one to help convince the former Volunteer.

And @AngryBlkManDC has a great idea for how a redesign of the Redskins’ logo if they were to land the future Hall of Famer.

These fans may not be holding out hope for nothing, as the NFL Network reporter Albert Breer caught up with Archie and Cooper Manning, the quarterback’s father and brother, who both feel he will play again.

Cooper seemed optimistic that Peyton would be back on an NFL field.

Archie said that his son is determined to play so he is going to support the decision, although he did not elaborate on his son’s actual chances of doing so.

Some people are just sick and tired of all this talk about a guy who didn’t play this year, while his brother and Tom Brady are about to do battle in an epic Super Bowl.

Artrell Hawkins, a former defensive back in the NFL, certainly seems annoyed.

One of Rich Eisen’s followers is upset about all of this too and would rather talk about the Denver Broncos’ signal caller.

The best way to figure out all of this and go straight to the horse’s mouth would be in touch with Gatorade today. They will be having a live chat with the Colts’ superstar this afternoon.

Regardless of what you think of this whole situation, there is no doubt that it is going to be one of the bigger stories hanging around the Super Bowl and offseason until Manning addresses it himself.

Hopefully he does that sooner than later and the football world can move on.