Peyton Manning: 5 Teams That Best Fit Indianapolis QB

Peyton Manning has had a Hall of Fame career with the Indianapolis Colts. Possibly the greatest regular season quarterback of all time, Manning will likely be released by the Colts this year in favor of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

Manning will be wanted by many teams and the pursuit of the QB will be fun to watch. Today we will be looking at what teams are the best fit for Peyton Manning.

1. Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are only three years removed from a Super Bowl appearance. The Cardinals got future Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner to play quarterback and came close to winning a Super Bowl. If it worked for Warner to go to the Cardinals, then it should work for Manning to go there as well.

Manning would have Larry Fitzgerald to throw to, which is a good reason for any quarterback to go to Arizona. Fitzgerald has proven himself to be one of the best wide receivers in the game throughout his career no matter who the quarterback is. Manning to Fitzgerald would be a deadly tandem.

Chemistry is a big part of a quarterback and wide receiver combination. These are two of the most dedicated players in the NFL and would find a way to make it work in the offseason.

Another reason for Manning to go to the Cardinals is the fact that the division is not that good. The NFC West had one winning team last year in the San Francisco 49ers. A weak division can provide some easy wins and make the chances of making the playoffs even better.

2. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins got off to a slow start this year starting the season at 0-7 but finished strong at 6-3.

The emergence of Reggie Bush in the backfield is an encouraging sign for the Dolphins and for Peyton Manning. The Colts never had a great running game to go along with Manning. He would have that in Miami. Last season the Dolphins averaged 124 yards per game on the ground ranking 11th in the league.

Defenses would have to choose which they would want to stop, the run or the pass. Manning is very good at reading defenses and would be able to change the play at the line to what is best for his team.

Manning would also be a good fit because of Brandon Marshall. Marshall, just like Fitzgerald, has proven to be a great receiver. With Manning in Miami, Marshall will learn from him on how to be an elite player in the NFL and can follow Manning's lead off the field in becoming a better player.

3. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a solid team that is missing a quarterback. Two years ago they made it to the NFC championship with Brett Favre as quarterback. Since then, it has been a struggle to find a quarterback for their future. Manning would be a good fit for the Vikings and they would be a good fit for him.

One thing that Manning is use to in his NFL career is playing in a dome. Manning has the same number of interceptions in outdoor and indoor stadiums. However, he has played in 14 less outdoor games in his career. Any quarterback would prefer to play in a dome with ideal conditions, but for a quarterback like Peyton Manning, it puts him at a level that is almost unstoppable.

Also, pairing one of the best quarterbacks in the league with one of the best running backs in the league, Adrian Peterson, cannot fail. Peterson is hurt and will most likely miss part of the 2012 season. However, in the few years after that, the thought of Manning and Peterson in the backfield would be interesting to watch and something Manning should think about.

4. New York Jets

The New York Jets have made the AFC Championship two out of the past three years with one of the top-ranked defenses. What has been holding the Jets down is the lack of offense.

Mark Sanchez has not gotten better so far at the quarterback position. This became evident in the last part of this season. However, if Manning was watching he can tell that they are a quarterback away from being a great team.

The defense was not the same as it was this year, but part of that was due to the lack of offense. The defense was on the field way too long as the Jets were not able to sustain drives.

Manning is great at keeping drives alive. If he were to go to the Jets, he would put life into the offense and give the receivers confidence in who's throwing the ball to them.

Manning has faced this Jets defense in the past and has struggled. He knows that they are a force on the defensive side of the ball; Manning also knows that if he were their quarterback, he would make the offense a force.

5. Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins have been known for their big-name free-agent acquisitions over the past few years. They will be trying hard to get Manning onto their team this year.

What might influence Manning to join the Redskins is head coach Mike Shanahan. The former Denver Broncos coach has worked well with quarterbacks in the past and is also known for putting together a good running game, two things that should intrigue Manning.

What might keep Manning away from Washington is the fact that his brother is in the same division. However, the NFC East has been very unstable the past few seasons with no one team staying consistently good. Manning on the Redskins will bring consistency to the team, as Manning is always in playoff contention no matter what team is around him.

Manning will have some interesting choices heading into the 2012 season. However, if Manning wants to win a Super Bowl again before he retires, he needs to pick one of these teams.