Peyton Manning Rumors: An Open Letter to Ex-Indianapolis QB

Dear Mr. Manning,

I want you out of the NFL. I apologize for the abruptness of my tone, but it is necessary to indicate the seriousness with which I write this.

Now that you’ve left Indianapolis, you will have received a lot of calls from your agent regarding your next destination, and I am writing this in the hope that you will ignore them. Please do not mistake these words for the bitterness of a fan whose team you never played for, or one who resents your success and wants to see the back of you.

I am writing this because I care.

I was in high school when you were drafted, and I have to admit that I preferred Ryan Leaf. He seemed cooler somehow, like a rock star that didn’t care what you thought—he was going to do it his way, with a beer in his hand and a smirk on his face.

You were the kid who always paid attention in class, did your homework on time and never failed to make the grade. At that age, it wasn’t much of a choice to be drawn to Leaf more than you.

Of course, to continue the high school analogy, the cool kids are rarely the ones who succeed. Your hard work set you up for the NFL and you revealed your true potential—while Leaf burned every bridge that he crossed until he was gone.

You were the Indianapolis Colts. That was my recurring thought when watching your press conference, but the Colts' 2011 season set the thought in my mind. Kerry Collins, Dan Orlovsky and Curtis Painter flailed through the year as you watched from the sideline, looking longingly at the football field.

I understand that being within such close proximity of the games will have spurred you on in your recovery, the desire to get back to the top and on the winning side still strong within you.

This is precisely why you should stop.

If you haven’t spoken with your agent yet, let me save you the trouble and outline a few of the teams that will have been calling—and give you reasons why you should stay away.

Washington Redskins

As you probably know, the Redskins need a quarterback, and have for a while now. There is talk that you would be the perfect answer to their problems and make them competitive again—but both you and I know different.

You’ve run your own offense since you turned pro, and your system is based on feel. You have an enviable talent for seeing how a play will unfold, and adjusting your tactics based on this.

Kyle and Mike Shanahan run a West Coast offense, and your freedom will be limited just when you thought you had it back.

Also, without further splashes in free agency, the offensive line can’t protect you. Do you want to play in the same division as Eli, and wonder if he’s whispering “go easy on my big brother; he’s got a bad neck” to Jason Pierre-Paul every time the Giants defense takes the field?

Miami Dolphins

You’ve already got a house in Florida, haven’t you? It seems like this could be a good step­—Miami has a decent roster and you could be the spark they need to ignite their franchise, so desperate for glory in the post-Marino years. The weather’s not bad, either.

But the West Coast offense rears its head again, this time with the face of Joe Philbin—it will just be too constraining for you, and you and Philbin would struggle to remain in agreement.

New York Jets

I don’t know why I’m even mentioning this, because you won’t want to play in the same division as Eli, let alone the same city. It’s not a two-Manning town, and you know it.

Cleveland Browns

You will no doubt have seen the trouble that Colt McCoy had last year, and while you could probably be given the freedom to call the shots that you require, I would have the same worries about protection that I had in Washington.

 McCoy had next to no time to throw the ball before he was set upon, and there must be a part of you that still worries about the neck injury. You will be inducted into the Hall of Fame one day, and I want to see you walk up to the podium.

Arizona Cardinals

I fear that this may be the hardest one to talk you out of. You’ve got the nice weather, a dome team, Larry Fitzgerald to throw to, and they did a great job with Kurt Warner.

Maybe Reggie Wayne will follow you there and you can have success as you play out the rest of your career. Kevin Kolb has yet to justify the money that was spent on him, and you could be an instant answer.

There is just one way that I feel you could be persuaded, and it goes like this: by signing with an NFC team, you are placing yourself in direct competition with Eli for a Super Bowl place, and denying the chance of a “Manning Bowl” for your family. 

Marshall Faulk seems to agree with me, so I am hopeful that you will heed these words and step back.

When I said that I was writing this because I cared, I never made it clear why I wanted you to retire. It’s because too many people tarnish their legacy by playing too long—I’m looking at you, Brett Favre—and you are better than that.

You could be the rock star that Leaf never was—going out at the top of your game, knowing that you were the best, and remain forever young in the minds of your fans. You said that you would always be a Colt, and this way you can be just that.

I refuse to just sit and watch as the brightness of your talent is diminished by the brilliance of your past, your numbers decreasing while people say “that was a throw that the old Peyton Manning would have made."

Just think about it.

With much respect,

Aidan Reynolds