Peyton Manning Gets on His Own Nerve, Recovers from Neck Surgery

After twelve seasons of football, Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning has never missed a start. An impressive record. Historic in fact (right behind leader Brett Favre). And this off-season he and the Colts decided it would be best for him to go under the knife for a pinched nerve in his neck. As reported by the Colts:

""This condition has existed intermittently for the past four years, but at no time did it interfere with his training, practice or playing regimen. While it never has affected Peyton's activity on or off the field, the Colts' medical staff, after post-playoff examination, thought it best to resolve the situation now.""

Hm... Maybe it's from shaking his head in shame one too many times? Perhaps aggravated by a Super Bowl-losing interception?

Regardless, the Colts claim he is recovering well in a Chicago hospital:

""All medical personnel involved believe the issue has been resolved. Peyton fully expects to participate in the Colts' off-season program this spring.""

As far as surgeries go, this one seems fairly non-threatening. It's almost a knee-jerk reaction to be nervous when the words "neck" and "injury" are put together in mention to the brutal sport. Yet this one could be called benign compared to others.

The one sneaky thing, as Mike Florio points out, is that the Colts never reported such an injury prior, and now claim it was an on-going tweak for Manning. Yes, guys do play hurt in the NFL, but the idea of covering it up (especially for a star like Manning) is considered a no-no.

If he looks in shape come preseason, however, consider it blown over.

Peyton Manning gets on his own nerve, recovers from neck surgery