Peyton Manning Cut: Colts Part Ways with Face of Franchise

Peyton Manning is no longer a member of the Indianapolis Colts. 

Announcing the decision at a press conference that aired on ESPN2, Manning has been released by the Colts. Once his name hits the NFL waiver wire, he is free to sign wherever he wants. 

He's spent his entire career with the Colts organization, and it's certainly going to be strange seeing him in a different uniform. If you watched Manning's press conference, you could see he was getting choked up over the thought of moving on from the Colts.

As he fought back tears, Manning said, "I will be forever grateful… this town and this team means and will always mean so much to me...I'll always be a Colt."

Manning still wants to play, and even though it's not entirely certain he still can, you definitely can't blame him for wanting to try.

After all, he sat out the whole season last year, which had to be both physically and mentally painful.

The Colts are doing the right thing in focusing on their future. There is no doubt they're going to take Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL draft, and he'll have some pretty big shoes to fill. 

Mad chaos is sure to ensue fairly soon, as a number of teams will be in full force pursuit of Manning's services. Manning said he hasn't thought about where he would play in 2012, but plenty of teams believe they have a shot to get him. 

Some team will spend a lot of money on him, but if they're smart, they'll make sure he's ready to rock before they write a huge check. 

The last thing a team in dire need of a QB needs is to get Manning only to find out he is not the same as before or can't handle any kind of contact. 

Manning has a huge decision to make, and one would imagine he'll take as long as possible. Jumping the gun on this sort of deal would be terrible. 

Be sure to stay tuned with Bleacher Report as we update you with all things regarding Manning and the NFL.