Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay Press Conference Won't Be QB's Final Memory with Colts

Let's get one thing straight, although Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are separating for the time being, this will not be the last memory the QB and franchise have together.

Unless Manning goes off and wins multiple Super Bowls with another team and has some miraculous change of heart, he'll go into the pro football Hall of Fame an Indianapolis Colt.

This temporary separation of Manning from the Colts' huddle is a necessary one for both team and player.

The Colts are entering a rebuilding era, but in order to commit entirely they need to sink the ship entirely. That means the captain, Peyton, has go down too.

Indianapolis would never be able to fully commit to a new era while the captain of the old era was still around—new GM, new coach, new QB.

Colts fans will get used to a new number under center, likely No. 12, but they'll never forget No. 18.

Unfortunately, there is a chance that he'll be back in the building sooner than later and it won't be in a Colts uniform.

The majority of the rumored teams on the Peyton Manning chase list are in the NFC (Washington, Arizona and Seattle) but there has been plenty of talk about the Miami Dolphins as a favorite with the New York Jets also considered an option.

It certainly doesn't ease Colts fans' minds that Peyton's former offensive coordinator and close mentor, Tom Moore, is now a member of Gang Green.

But like Green Bay with Brett Favre and San Francisco with Joe Montana, there is no doubt which uniform these quarterbacks will be remembered in.

If Peyton plays again it will get worse before it gets better (Favre can attest to that better than anyone) but when all is said and done, and Peyton hangs up the cleats, he'll be a Colt once again.

This is a historically sad day for a city and organization, but it is just another stop in Peyton's Hall of Fame career. Eventually, that career will be remembered most as Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.

You can catch me on Twitter too.