Peyton Manning Rumors: How No. 18 to Houston Texans Would Affect Matt Schaub

Does Peyton Manning have a wish list of teams he wants to play for next season? Is he taking a page out of Dwight Howard's book and leaking information about wanting to play here or there in 2012?

According to Bob Allen of ABC 13 in Houston, Peyton does have some preferences and one of them is the Houston Texans:

"

Someone I know who is close friends with the Manning family says Peyton is definitely interested in possibly coming to the Texans. Peyton will be released by the Colts early next month and will be a free agent. The person who knows the Mannings says Peyton wants to play on a team that has a chance of going to a Super Bowl, and the Texans fit that description.

"

Rotoworld also cited the rumor which means that, although Allen's article reads extremely poor and is even irresponsibly written considering former Colts owner Robert Irsay passed away in 1997, there is possibly something to talk about here.

Manning is naturally drawn to the AFC South. He knows the division better than anyone else in the world, he knows the Colts and Jaguars will be doormats for the next 2-4 years, and he watched the Texans not only win their first division title this season, but actually win a playoff game with staunch defense, a dominant running game and a rookie quarterback under center.

The possibility of Manning teaming up with Andre Johnson and Arian Foster is downright frightening if No. 18 ever regains health. He knows this and that is the only reason why we cannot rule out the possibility of such a move.

The Texans have Matt Schaub under center right now, but he's coming off a Lisfranc fracture and is in the last year of his contract.

Although he's been a fine quarterback since coming from Atlanta, he was never truly able to elevate the Texans into the postseason on his own. When they finally got all the pieces in play this year he happened to be on the sideline for the biggest moments.

Plain and simple, Schaub isn't good enough and hasn't done enough to warrant the rejection of Manning should he truly be interested in playing for Houston.

Schaub has played second fiddle in the AFC South for a number of years now and that would not change if Manning wanted his actual job.

If the interest is genuine from Manning's side it would be foolish to think the Texans would turn him away for the right price.

In other words, Matt Schaub, a five-year starter in Houston, instantly becomes expendable should Peyton Manning want to play for the Texans.

That wouldn't just be business, it would be good business.