Peyton Manning Hanging for Dear Life to Position as Colts Superstar

The label Colts superstar is likely to get a former thrown in front, as Peyton Manning is hanging by the thinnest of threads in Indianapolis. 

ESPN reported on Thursday that Manning was cleared to play football, but the scope and manner that he will do so in the future is largely uncertain. 

The report states that Manning has been throwing, and a physician, "concluded the stability in his neck would have allowed the quarterback to play this Sunday if the nerves in his arm had regenerated to a satisfactory performance level."

More throwing and intensive training may bring Manning back to the level of superstar that we are all used to, but do the Colts even want him back?

A March 8 deadline looms for owner Jim Irsay to pay Manning a $28 million option bonus. If Irsay relents, as many believe he will, the Colts mainstay will be a free agent heading into the 2012 season, and the oddest sight in years will take place. 

The Colts will be without Peyton Manning. 

Laying in wait, and the impetus for most of this uncertainty, is Andrew Luck. None of this would be a question if an NFL-ready quarterback with talent to start a pro game tomorrow weren't available. 

The Colts have the No. 1 pick in the draft, and that means everything. 

The riddle of who could possibly fill Manning's shoes has been answered. He has a name, face and highlight reel a mile long. The Colts will select Andrew Luck, and Indianapolis will never be the same.

Luck is acting like he has some playbook for this extreme circumstance. He is saying the right things and staying humble. There is no need to hog the spotlight when it will be shining for years all around you shortly. 

He contends that he would love to play right away, but he knows exactly what the situation is. Via CBS Sports.  

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I think like any competitor, you want to play. But if that's what the situation calls for, then put your best foot forward.

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For Manning, nobody has informed him of the writing that is all over the wall right in front of him. He is in the last days of a desperate man clinging to all he has known. 

This isn't to say that I think this is fair or right, but it's true. Manning will never throw another ball in a Colts game, and we should all just get used to it. 

You could even hear it in the tenor of his voice in an ESPN interview with Trey Wingo. Manning sounded like a man putting a happy picture on a grim story. 

He played the politician, dodging one question and deflecting another. He was like Superman, having barbed questions bounce off his chest while an awkward smile adorned his face. 

In the end, the thought of a looming sit-down with owner Jim Irsay fills every room Manning is in. The two are supposed to meet and discuss Manning's future after the Super Bowl. 

While you are all chowing down on gobs of guacamole, Manning will be soaking up the confines of Lucas Oil Stadium, just in case he doesn't get the chance to properly say goodbye. 

It's time to say our fond farewells to Peyton Manning as we know him. He will soon wear a Redskins, Cardinals or some other NFL jersey, and it will look as odd as seeing Joe Montana in a Chiefs uniform. 

Irsay will side with youth and promise over legacy, and it's the smart move. There is no telling what Manning has left in his arm or how his neck will hold up to the strain of an NFL season. 

But that doesn't mean we have to like the end of days, because Manning sure doesn't. He is holding onto the past for dear life but will soon realize that this doesn't have to be the end; just the end in Indy. 

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