Peyton Manning Rumors: Houston Texans Should Ignore Interest from Superstar QB

When it comes to superstar players like Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning possibly becoming available, there tend to be some crazy rumors. Even if his rumored interest in the Houston Texans is true, though, the Texans need to turn the other cheek.

Bob Allen of KTRK-TV in Houston is reporting that a close friend of the Manning family told him Manning has definite interest in the Texans. He said the family friend also told him Manning wants to play for a Super Bowl contender and the notion of playing in the same division as the Colts would also be attractive.

As with any rumor without a named source, it's impossible to say whether Manning has actual interest in the Texans, but it stands to reason he does. Not only is there familiarity with the Texans since he has played against them for so many years, but with Andre Johnson to throw to and Arian Foster running the ball, Houston has a fantastic group on offense, and a dominant defense to boot.

With that said, however, the Texans should ignore any overtures that may come from the Manning camp. There is no denying it would have to an interesting option for Houston to pursue a future Hall of Fame quarterback who has torched the Texans for so many years, but it's a temptation that must be resisted.

The biggest reason for that is the presence of Matt Schaub. Prior to a Lisfranc injury that forced him to miss the final six games of the regular season, as well as the Texans' two playoff games, Schaub was having an excellent season with nearly 2,500 yards and 15 touchdowns as opposed to just six interceptions.

Schaub has been fantastic for the Texans over the past few seasons, throwing for more than 4,000 yards in both 2009 and 2010. He is a very good fit for Houston's offense and has a great rapport with Johnson, so there's absolutely no reason to throw him to the curb.

All signs point to Schaub being healthy and ready to go for next season, and with so much help on offense and a vastly improved defense, Schaub is a good enough quarterback to lead the Texans to a Super Bowl berth, and possibly a Super Bowl win.

If Houston were to sign Manning (should he be released) there is no question Schaub would be on his way out of time. There is an inherent risk in doing that. Schaub has obviously battled some injuries over the course of his career, but there has never been anything career threatening, and all signs point to him having quite a few years left in him at the age of 30.

Manning, on the other hand, underwent some very invasive neck surgeries and there remain questions about his ability to return even now. The worst-case scenario for the Texans would be that they jettison Schaub and bring in Manning, but Manning gets hurt immediately or simply can't play to the level he is accustomed to.

This would leave the Texans with a broken-down quarterback and nothing to replace him with. The tables have turned for a Texans franchise that used to be the doormat of the NFL, so it might be tempting for them to flex their muscles and pursue Manning, but they're a title contender right now, and there's no reason to mess with that.