Peyton Manning: Why Not Joining the San Francisco 49ers Would Be a Huge Mistake

Ultimately, what separate the all-time greats from one another are championships. You can have all the statistics and regular season accolades in the world, but if a player comes up small when it matters most, his career is not viewed to have lived up to its potential.

Peyton Manning’s legacy is yet to be determined. Right now, he’s known as the greatest regular season quarterback of all-time. However, he is also known for routinely failing to match his regular season success and production come playoff time.  

Manning missed the entire 2011-2012 NFL season due to a serious and potentially career ending neck injury. The star quarterback was released by the Colts last week and despite the still lingering questions about his health, he has become the most talked about and sought after free agent in NFL history.

Manning has found himself in a dream scenario. He has been released from an aging franchise, which finished last season with the league’s worst record, and has been given the opportunity to choose any team he wants to join.

This is a chance that star players are rarely awarded. Manning has the ability to drastically alter the course of his legacy, for the better or worse, depending on the team he chooses.

If you’re Manning, you have to make the most of this miraculous stroke of luck. Manning has made more than enough money over the course of his Hall of Fame career, and needs to think of his legacy first when determining the franchise he joins.

Manning has to know that he has three or four years left, and needs to join a team that can win right away.

Watching the Broncos and Titans emerge as the favorite in the Manning sweepstakes was disheartening. It appeared as if Manning cared more about staying in his comfort zone in the AFC than winning. There is no way he can believe that either of these teams are in position to win right away even with him under center.

I didn’t want to see one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history toil away the final years of his career playing for a team that at best could win 10 games and be a first round playoff exit.

The team that Manning should be going to is the San Francisco 49ers. This is a team with the NFL’s best defense, and also with some talented pieces on offense including running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis.

The 49ers lost in overtime in the NFC championship game to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. The only thing holding the 49ers back was the putrid performance put forward by the team’s offense. All it needed to do was score more than 14 points against one of the league’s worst defenses, and it fell short.

Alex Smith did have a career renaissance last season and was a good field general for a 13 win team. Still, if you’re the 49ers there should be no hesitation. They are ready to win now and having Manning for the next three to four years would give them their best chance.

If Manning were to join the 49ers, he would be in position to win at least one more Super Bowl title. If he were to win another ring and do so while performing at a reasonably high level, his legacy would be strengthened greatly. The numerous years he failed to lead the Colts deep into the playoffs would be a distant memory and he would be viewed as someone who brought a storied franchise back to Super Bowl glory.  

Peyton Manning needs to be very careful as to which team he decides to join. The 49ers would be an ideal fit and would allow the future Hall of Fame quarterback to go for another Super Bowl title while greatly enhancing his legacy.