Peyton Manning Rumors: Talk Is Exaggerated, Manning Will Remain a Colt

It seems that the talk of the town these days is whether or not Peyton Manning will stay in Indianapolis. There are all these factors of pay, first-round picks, franchise owners and whatnot. In my honest opinion, it's all a bunch of hoopla.

Look, I understand that the Colts are at a turning point in the franchise. They need to be looking to the future, I agree. But Manning can also be included into that future. Well, for a couple of years at least.

I have three main doubts as to why Manning will be traded. 

First, the whole talk of Irsay and Manning being at polar opposite ends is something that I have heard for a while now, and it is honestly annoying. Irsay knows that this situation has started to turn into an owner vs player deal, which is not what he or Manning wants. Irsay would especially not like the situation to turn into something like the Brett Favre fiasco.

Second, this is a man who has given his entire NFL career to the franchise. He has brought them a Super Bowl and multiple division championships. His name is embedded into the NFL's record books and the hearts of the Colts fans. If this turns even uglier, Colts fans will not like what their owner has to say to them about why the guy who has represented their franchise so well is leaving.

The third and final reason is that, while football is a business, it is also a sport. Manning can play football. Quarterbacks have come back from worse injuries, and Manning will be no different. I see no problem with Andrew Luck sitting behind Manning for a year or two before getting the nod. Hopefully by then, everyone will see a clear solution and path to the future.

This prediction is not rock solid. There are a few things that may need to happen before a lot of people are ready to keep Manning as the starting QB.

The most important one would need to be the money situation. After all, it does make the world go round. If Manning is really sincere about keeping his job, he should try to negotiate a contract where a chunk of the bonus is tied to incentives or playing time, not necessarily guaranteed.

A lesser reason, but still important, would be for Manning to openly say that he is willing to mentor Luck. The point of this would be to show the owners and the franchise that Manning wants them to succeed. In doing said mentoring, he would ensure the Colts success and let people know that he truly loves the team.

Even if the two things said above don't happen, I really do believe that the Colts stick with Manning. Either way, I just wish all this drama would cease. It is not good for the demeanor of the team or the fans.

If the Colts decide to cut or trade Manning, I will be truly shocked.