Peyton Manning Rumors: Ranking Legendary QB's Likely Landing Spots

The latest Peyton Manning news should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the Colts and Manning are going to officially part ways on Wednesday. The Colts are going to pass on picking up Manning's $28 million option bonus, which means Manning will become an unrestricted free agent.

Now comes the circus. First we're going to find out just how healthy and NFL-ready Manning is. Then we're going to see teams jockey for position to sign him.

As of right now, here's how his potential suitors line up.

6. New York Jets

Just imagine Peyton Manning playing under the bright lights of New York (okay fine, New Jersey)...

Now do yourself a favor and come to grips with the fact it's not going to happen.

Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network opened up about the idea of Manning ending up in New York with the Jets, saying there are reasons to believe it's highly unlikely:

"

I don’t think it’s very realistic at all. Talking to general managers and other people around the league, they don’t think Tom Condon, Peyton’s agent, will ultimately put him with the Jets. You would have the situation with him and (Eli Manning), and there’s already that rivalry there. You have the tabloid culture in New York. You have a team that slipped, the running game wasn’t there…

You don’t have a lot of playmakers there right now. The defense slipped. And there will be other options, probably, that make more sense for Peyton Manning. I don’t see it happening.

"

There's a lot of speculation here, but there are good points as well. New York just isn't a great fit for Manning, and it's not like he won't have other options.

The Jets can't be ruled out, but this doesn't seem like a likely union.

5. Seattle Seahawks

Dan Pompei of the National Football Post reported in February that there was buzz around the league about the Seahawks possibly being the early front-runner for Manning's services.

However, Seahawks general manager John Schneider told the team's website last month that he's not going to panic and get a new quarterback just to get a new quarterback. He'd rather keep building the team he has.

Schneider's comments were vague, but it sounded to me like he has no real interest in breaking the bank to bring in a new quarterback.

I'm not ruling it out, though. The Seahawks have some good young players, and they made it clear late in the season last year that they're not very far off from contention. If Manning is looking to join a good young team, the Seahawks should be on his radar.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

As I recall, it was this tweet from ESPN's Rachel Nichols that started the Manning-to-the-Chiefs bandwagon:

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Crennel on Peyton Manning: "With a talent like that, I would be crazy not to consider it if he were available."

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 25, 2012"

Regardless of where the Chiefs movement gained traction, it's not such a crazy idea. The Chiefs have Matt Cassel on the payroll, but he's nothing special as a quarterback. Finding a better option is not outside the realm of possibility.

The Chiefs have a ton of cap room to work with too. Per Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Chiefs have roughly $50 million in cap space to work with.

And yes, the Chiefs are a team that should appeal to Manning. They have some solid weapons on offense, and their defense has plenty of upside. Give them a good quarterback, and they'll be ready to contend.

3. Arizona Cardinals

According to Pro Football Talk, ESPN's Adam Schefter has gone so far as to say the Cardinals will pursue Manning if he were to become a free agent.

It gets better. Per NFL.com, Cardinals general manager Rod Graves admitted that he has no reason not to consider a shakeup at the quarterback position, and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com has reported that head coach Ken Whisenhunt is looking to have a competition for the team's starting quarterback spot in 2012.

The Cardinals are another team that finished strong in 2011, and they have assets that should appeal to Manning. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is the biggest one, and Manning could easily mesh with Whisenhunt the way Kurt Warner did.

If Warner could take this team to the Super Bowl, so could a healthy Peyton Manning.

2. Washington Redskins

The Redskins have options as far as their quarterback situation is concerned (ahem, Robert Griffin III), but there's no ignoring that they have been linked to Manning for quite a while now.

It all started with this tweet from Adam Schefter:

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If Peyton Manning is released, Redskins are expected to pursue him. Redskins also prepared to pursue free agents Matt Flynn and Kyle Orton.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 5, 2012"

Virtually everyone has weighed in on the matter since then, and not everyone has agreed that Manning would be the answer to Washington's prayers. I'm not too crazy about the idea myself, for the record.

But there are two things we know about the Redskins that make this union a legitimate possibility. First, we know Dan Snyder is not afraid to throw money around. Second, we know that the Redskins are desperate for a quarterback.

Everything else is in place. The Redskins could use some help at wide receiver, but they're a team with a strong defense that could easily make the playoffs with a steady presence at quarterback.

I'd also wager that the Redskins are among the best places Manning can go if he's looking to add to his legend. Whoever revives the Redskins will loom large in NFL lore.

1. Miami Dolphins

It's been widely reported that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross would love to sign Manning, and Greg A. Bedard of The Boston Globe reported just a couple days ago that Ross hasn't backed off his stance.

It sounds like the interest could be mutual. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported roughly a month ago that Manning has an "affinity" for Miami. He wouldn't even have to go house hunting, as he already owns a condo in South Beach.

The Dolphins have plenty of things with which to lure Manning. They have several talented players on offense, most notably Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush, who would be deadly catching passes from Manning. The Dolphins also have an offensive-minded head coach in Joe Philbin.

Just as the Redskins offer Manning a chance to pad his legacy, so do the Dolphins. The team has been searching for an answer at quarterback ever since Dan Marino. In the meantime, the once-proud Dolphins franchise has become an also-ran.

So, Peyton, do you feel like being the guy to change everything? At least for a few years?

UPDATE: Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. EST

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports that one Dolphins source says the team is "very confident" it has a chance to sign Manning. In fact, the Dolphins have already been talking to Manning over the last three weeks.

Very interesting.