Houston Texans Would Be Foolish Not to Consider Peyton Manning, Super Bowl Shot

In the seemingly endless list of suitors that have been mentioned for the services of quarterback Peyton Manning since the four-time MVP was released by the Indianapolis Colts Wednesday, one of the darker of dark horse candidates has already been dismissed by one of the most trusted beat writers in the National Football League.

However, if the Houston Texans want to make the next step after making their first postseason appearance in franchise history, a quantum leap to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, then they may want to give the idea of pursuing Peyton Manning a bit more consideration than John McClain of the Houston Chronicle believes they will.

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Nothing against Manning and his attempt to make an incredible comeback from four neck operations, but the Texans have Matt Schaub as their starting quarterback. They believe in Schaub. This will be his sixth season in Gary Kubiak’s system. Kubiak has been using this system since 1995, and he’s not going to change it.

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McClain is slightly mistaken regarding Manning's health, as while there have been four "procedures" on Manning's neck not all have been confirmed to have been surgical in nature (a cortisone shot is a "procedure", as an example), but as with all the speculation regarding Manning's destination in 2012, we'll assume for the sake of argument that Manning will be more or less healthy by opening day. As if the neck was really that big of an issue, Wednesday's press conference probably would have been a retirement announcement.

The Chronicle's esteemed beat man is absolutely correct that the Texans have a solid starting quarterback in Matt Schaub, who has more than justified the price that Houston paid to acquire him from the Atlanta Falcons in 2007, but Schaub has also made it through all 16 games only twice in his five seasons with the Texans, and there's a fair bit of difference between a "solid" starting quarterback and a mortal lock first ballot Hall of Famer who may well be better at 35 than Schaub ever has been or ever will be.

Granted, the Texans aren't in the greatest of situations in regards to salary cap space, but as is being shown across the league this week there are ways to create wiggle room, especially on teams that have experienced some success where players might be more inclined to "take one for the team" if it could potentially mean obtaining a certain piece of gaudily fantastic jewelry.

In addition, one of the Texans' more pressing needs on offense is a wideout to complement Andre Johnson, and if the Texans were to pull off a Peyton Manning/Reggie Wayne combo pack, not only would they address that need, but they would then possess one of the most formidable wide receiver duos in the NFL—it's quite possible that the idea of sticking it to the Indianapolis Colts twice a season might appeal to the darker side of Manning and Wayne's psyches. (It's there. We have all one, folks).

This is admittedly one of the longer of long shots where Peyton Manning is concerned, but it seems a bit foolish to dismiss the possibility of the Houston Texans making a push for Manning out of hand, as unlikely as that possibility may be, the Texans could go from a very good team with Matt Schaub under center to a great one with Manning barking out the signals.