Peyton Manning: Why He Should Get the Largest Contract in NFL History

If the NFL lockout ever ends—optimism about which has risen and fallen—Peyton Manning will undergo negotiations with the Indianapolis Colts. His next contract will likely be his last, and the Colts and their fans are anxious to see what the outcome of the negotiations will be.

Manning will, and should, sign the largest contract in NFL history. Jim Irsay has stated many times that he plans on making Manning the highest paid player, while Manning has often communicated his desire to retire in Indianapolis.

The question really isn't whether or not Manning will be the highest paid player in history, but whether or not he should be.

Whether or not he deserves it isn't the issue, as Manning is always in the conversation for the league's best player and is widely recognized as the player most vital to his team's success. He has countless team and NFL records, and has led one of the league's top teams for the past 10 years.

However, some fans and analysts have called for a sacrifice in salary, claiming that Manning should voluntarily take a pay cut on this contract.

The main reason these pundits call for Manning's sacrifice is to put the Colts in a better position to make another couple of Super Bowl runs in Manning's last years.

The Colts have substantial needs on defense (safety and defensive tackle) and also have important players coming into contract years (Robert Mathis, Reggie Wayne) or who are free agents this year (Joseph Addai, Antonio Johnson, Melvin Bullitt, etc.). The money saved from Manning's contract would greatly aid the Colts in re-signing key players and bringing new ones in.

For this reason, some call for Manning to sacrifice his personal cash for the team, a small sacrifice for a millionaire athlete desperate for more Super Bowl rings.

Unfortunately, the NFL doesn't work that way, and Manning should get the largest contract in NFL history.

As stated above, it's quite clear that Manning deserves the monster contract. He takes good care of his body, and with a renewed offensive line around him, Manning should be able to produce at an extremely high level for a few more years.

For what he means to the Colts, and for how good he truly is, he deserves the money.

For the NFL, a business, players are rewarded for the success they have. The players' wages are scaled based on how their performance matches up with other similar players around the league. Manning taking a large pay cut would diminish the value of quarterback salaries.

If Manning is shortchanged, how can young players such as Matt Ryan or Philip Rivers expect to receive their deserved monetary value? Owners can point to Manning's contract and say, "If Peyton Manning was only paid X, then there's no way I'm paying you more than that!"

The system is set up in a way that ensures that players get the money they deserve, and Peyton Manning is one player who clearly deserves his money. So, if Jim Irsay wants to keep No. 18 in Indianapolis for the next four to five years, he'd better be prepared to make him the highest paid player in the history of the league.

Because Manning should be. There's never been a player like him. And, as soon as the lockout's lifted, there never will have been a player who's been paid like him.