Peyton Manning Rumors: Why Retirement Will Be Best Option for Superstar QB

While talk about which teams will pursue Peyton Manning is going to continue growing with each passing day, there is a very real possibility that retirement will be the best option for the four-time MVP.

First, there were the conflicting reports about whether or not doctors cleared him to resume his playing career. 

According to Mike Lombardi of the NFL Network, Manning still can't throw the ball across his body. 

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He can't throw the ball. I've talked to people who've caught the ball for him. He can't throw the ball to his left. He can't throw the ball across his body, because he doesn't feel it. People that catch the ball for him say he doesn't really have velocity on the ball yet.

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Indianapolis sports reporter Jake Query says that Manning's accuracy has been very limited when he does throw. 

Maybe there will come a point when he is able to throw the ball with the same zip he once did. Maybe his neck will magically heal enough to let him resume football activities. Maybe he can be the quarterback that he was before sitting out the 2011 season. 

Jim Irsay wants to believe that Manning will be back to his old self. According to local ABC sports director Dave Furst, the two sides are discussing moving the March 8 deadline for Manning's $28 million bonus to see how he progresses. 

However, considering how problematic his recovery has been, the fact he still can't throw a ball and since we have no idea how many more times he can get hit before something serious happens, would you be willing to bet money on him playing another snap in the NFL?

We want to believe that Manning will get back on the field, if for no other reason than because the game is just more exciting and interesting when he is a part of it. However, he can't risk his long-term health and well-being simply to get out there and prove a point to the skeptics. 

Teams are desperate for quarterback help, and would love the opportunity to give Manning a workout, but if he can't throw the ball to his left, what good is he going to be?

Manning has had a great career, one of the best we have ever seen. His legacy is secure, and he will walk into the Hall of Fame one day. However, it appears that the end could be a lot closer than any of us thought. 

He can't come back simply to play—he has to be able to play at a high level. Anything less than his best will not be good enough for him or anybody else. It would not be the perfect sendoff that someone of his stature deserves, but it could be his only choice. 

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