Peyton Manning Rumors: Why Seahawks Wouldn't Be a Good Fit for Star QB

There are a lot of reasons why Peyton Manning would sign with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason.

But the Seahawks fall short in the most important department, and that's why they aren't a good fit for the legendary quarterback.

Dan Pompei of the National Football Post wrote on Sunday:

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Based on the buzz around the league, the Seahawks could be the early frontrunner for Peyton Manning, assuming he is released. Pete Carroll needs a quarterback and is believed to have a strong interest in at least exploring Manning.

The Seahawks could offer Manning an attractive scenario. They have a young team with some fine skill players to put around him. They play in one of the league’s loudest stadiums. Manning wouldn’t be subject to the same kind of scrutiny in Seattle that he would in a lot of other markets.

The Seahawks also could have a better feel for Manning’s medical situation than some teams. One of their team physicians, Stan Herring, who also is one of the country’s preeminent specialists for spine injuries. Herring is a member of the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee.

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All of this sounds great. The only problem is, this ignores Manning's biggest need: winning.

Manning is not only turning 36 years old in March, he's coming off four neck surgeries in the past two years. He isn't realistically going to be around for much longer.

Yes, having a solid medical staff is important, but by simply trying to play at this point Manning is gunning for one thing: another championship.

There aren't many teams out there vying for Manning who have a realistic shot at winning a title next season, but I would argue that the Miami Dolphins have the best shot (if you exclude the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, who I don't think will seriously pursue him).

The Dolphins went 6-10 last season, but they basically won six of their last nine games despite not having a legitimate starting quarterback (sorry, Matt Moore). A lot of that has to do with their defense, which is for real. The Dolphins allowed just 19.6 points per game last season, sixth in the NFL.

What's also intriguing about the Dolphins is they have a top-10 pick in this year's draft, which means they could add an offensive tackle like Riley Reiff to help protect Manning.

With Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall at his disposal, a solid defense and a better offensive line, the Dolphins give Manning the best chance to win a title. Not saying they will, but it was pretty obvious that Manning had been carrying the Indianapolis Colts after they went 2-14 last season in his absence. He would be able to do the same with the Dolphins, with a better defense.

In addition, Pompei writes, "Manning wouldn’t be subject to the same kind of scrutiny in Seattle that he would in a lot of other markets."

Since when does Manning care about scrutiny? He's an 11-time Pro Bowler and four-time MVP who's won a Super Bowl. I'm pretty sure he'd gladly take the scrutiny if it meant he was better positioned for a run in the playoffs.

The Seahawks offer a lot of positives for Manning, but they don't offer him the best shot at winning, and that's all he cares about at this point in his career.