NFL Rumors: Short List of Franchises That Could Use Peyton Manning in 2012

With so much uncertainty in the air right now, it's only going to become a more intense situation as each day passes.

And that is, where will Peyton Manning play the 2012 NFL season?

Since this saga began what seems like forever ago now, there's been numerous teams in the discussion.

Obviously there's more than just a handful of franchises that could use Manning, but here are five familiar ones mentioned before.

Washington Redskins

In an article for the Virginian-Pilot, Bob Molinaro believes the Redskins could pursue Manning:

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For me, part of the appeal of the Redskins signing Manning would be the circus it would create. Let's not pretend that one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time would be "another guy for just a couple of years." He'd light a fire under the franchise, single-handedly improving its national image.

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Molinaro makes an excellent point here, because it's unlikely not too many non-Redskins fans outside of our nation's capital could name their last Super Bowl champion quarterback.

Yeah, it was Mark Rypien in 1991, who had a boatload of talent around him. Washington hasn't made the postseason since 2007.

From a business perspective, it's just as good of an idea. It would sell tickets and merchandise and twice a season he would face younger brother Eli. However, this is all from the Redskins' side of the field.

Manning himself may not like the situation considering that there's a lack of talent on offense and the Redskins allowed 41 sacks in 2011 (ranked No. 11). Although it's a great fit with Mike Shanahan, there are more appealing teams than Washington.

Indianapolis Colts

Before Super Bowl XLVI kicked off, according to Gregg Rosenthal of NBC Sports, Manning had spoken with Colts GM Ryan Grigson:

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Grigson admitted that the Manning situation is in a “holding pattern.”  He has not watched Manning throw. That figures to change in the coming weeks as Manning’s option bonus date gets closer.

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It's certainly going to be a closely watched situation and although Manning would be a solid fit for other teams, the Colts need him the most.

A big reason is because even if Indianapolis drafts Andrew Luck No. 1 overall, he's still an unproven NFL quarterback. There's no guarantee that he'll dominate the league or be a bust. Manning, on the other hand, is a proven elite player and already has chemistry built around the receivers.

The best possible outcome of this, though, would be for Manning to influence Luck in the beginning years and then the Colts offense just keeps rolling after Manning retires.

The two most recent examples are quite legit as well, with Aaron Rodgers backing Brett Favre and Matt Cassel behind Tom Brady.

After the atrocity that was the 2011 season for the Colts, it's clear that having an NFL-ready backup is crucial.

Miami Dolphins

According to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel, the Miami Dolphins are an appealing team to Manning:

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An NFL source says Miami is on the short list of teams Manning would like to play for when/if the Colts release him to avoid paying a $28 million bonus, which is due on March 8.

Manning and his wife own a condo on South Beach and a source said they'd love to relocate to South Florida if the fit is right. A second source confirmed Manning's interest in the Dolphins.

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This, of all teams, appears to be the most plausible since Miami has some good talent to provide.

For one, receiver Brandon Marshall is still a stud and tight end Anthony Fasano has developed into a reliable possession target. Not to mention the late-season burst on the ground by running back Reggie Bush.

It's arguably some of the best talent around Manning other than Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. The Dolphins are also starting fresh with new head coach Joe Philbin, who was the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011, and there's a top-10 draft pick this spring.

Oh, and one other marketable aspect: getting to play Tom Brady twice a season.

New York Jets

It's been looming around since the regular season was in its final weeks and Mark Sanchez was being scrutinized once again.

And that's Manning being of interest to the New York Jets. In an article by Joe Greene of the New Jersey Newsroom, Jets Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin has also chimed in:

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"I'm not saying anything against Mark Sanchez, but Peyton Manning... I have a lot of respect for the guy,” Martin said in an interview with ESPN NewYork.com on Jan. 27. “I played against him for a number of years.

“I wouldn't care who was on my team — if Peyton Manning was available, I would go after him."

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Certainly not the worst of ideas, Manning is quite appealing to the Jets. With a lot of turmoil going on with their offense, the Jets need to bring in a guy who can immediately own the locker room and have everyone's respect.

And regardless of the receivers that will be potentially or not potentially available, Manning has worked with less-established targets before. Not to mention Rex Ryan has a stout defense and a great tight end in Dustin Keller.

Although Gang Green isn't as appealing to Manning as the Dolphins, it's not the worst of situations. Plus, being in the same city as younger brother Eli would be interesting.

Arizona Cardinals

One team that has a history of reviving careers, mainly just to former quarterback Kurt Warner, the Arizona Cardinals have an interesting situation brewing. According to Mike Sando of ESPN, the Cardinals have hired Manning's former position coach Frank Reich:

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Reich coached quarterbacks and later wide receivers for the Indianapolis Colts in recent seasons, giving the Cardinals a direct link to Peyton Manning should Manning hit the market this offseason, as expected. Multiple reports have listed the Cardinals among teams likely to pursue the Colts' longtime quarterback.

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Along the same lines as the Miami Dolphins, the Cardinals are a suitable fit with receiver Larry Fitzgerald and tight end Todd Heap.

The defense made significant strides during the course of the season and rookie cornerback/return specialist Patrick Peterson was an All-Pro punt returner.

All Manning would have to do is toss one up to Fitz a few times per game and that would then set up the running game. Fitzgerald will also be arguably the best deep threat Manning has ever worked with, and Heap's reliability on third downs is second to none.

Include a top-15 overall draft pick and his former position coach in Arizona and the Cardinals are more appealing than at first glance.

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