Peyton Manning: Why Neck Injury Signals End of an Era for Manning and Colts

The Indianapolis Colts tried to hold onto it as long as they possibly could. By Thursday, they were forced to say goodbye to the greatest years they had ever known, as the Peyton Manning era was cut down by the silent killer of NFL careers.

On Thursday, Colts' owner Jim Irsay tweeted that Peyton Manning would be out for "a while." The term could not be any more vague, but not the least bit more cutting for Colts fans. For weeks, we have operated under the assumption that Manning would return like the chiseled warrior we have come to expect.

Even ESPN's Rick Reilly guaranteed that Manning would be on the field in Week 1. Reilly is getting heat for it now, but I agreed with him at the time. We all did. 

We have all become spoiled with the longevity this man has enjoyed. Manning's lingering neck issue should highlight how obscene of a marvel Brett Favre was. 

Manning has gone from hopeful to play in Week 1 to probable and then questionable, and now he is just plain out. Then came the nail in this season's coffin for the Colts. 

Mike Florio of NBC Sports reported that Manning will miss "significant time" due to an upcoming surgery on his neck. The surgery will come quickly in the hopes that Manning could suit up at some point this season. 

Colts fans will grip to the term hopeful, while simultaneously ignoring the more grizzly fare of "a while" and "significant time."

I would have to grip tightly to the notion that the same Manning who commanded nine straight seasons of near-flawless football would return in a few weeks. That isn't what the facts are telling us. 

We have seen these neck issues end illustrious careers before. Sterling Sharpe was unable to continue playing after a neck injury. 

Seahawks fullback Mack Strong had to cut his playing career short when he learned that he too had a herniated disk that was pinching a nerve in his spinal cord. 

Manning will no doubt push his body to the limit. This is one individual that I am certain will do everything in his power to return to the field. But at what cost?

After another surgery, the window for a full recovery becomes far more slim than we would like to admit. It is even more slim when we consider what kind of player Manning is. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports Thursday's operation will likely keep him out two-to-three months. 

This is a player that will be judged on his past accomplishments, and that is simply unfair. After multiple surgeries, Manning will be called upon to return and toss up 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns this season, something he used to do in his sleep. 

The Colts have relied on the magnificence of Manning's arm for a decade. During those years, it was company policy to sit back and watch the marvelous magician take over. 

It is for that reason that the Colts gave Manning the keys to the franchise when they extended his contract for five years and $90 million. 

That faith will come back to haunt them as Manning is about to do the one thing he has never had to do, make a stirring return from injury. 

Manning's brother Cooper knows what it feels like to have a career end because of neck troubles. His was cut short because of a neck injury in college. He had this to say to ESPN on Thursday:

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"Everyone is different, but I've had a fusion and I've known players who have had fusions and went on to play football. ... You can get a pretty good range of motion back and much more stability once it heals." 

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This is at the very heart of why the Colts will no longer be the same. Manning was a special player, one who played at a level above anyone else in the league. 

You simply can't continue that kind of production with "pretty good range." You need the best range. You need the best of everything to command a line the way Manning did. 

The pain continues to be too much for Peyton Manning, and so he gets cut on again. When Manning comes out on the other side, he will be a much different quarterback.

He will no longer be the god of the gridiron, impervious to injury or health risks. He will be a rehabilitated quarterback, one who is susceptible to injury.

That is not the Manning I have come to know. This is the man who could do anything, even play 13 years without the slightest show of pain.

The NFL is a nasty business. Career-altering injuries loom around every corner. At some point, they find a way to strike down the best in the game.

Injuries always get their man, and they have just struck down Peyton Manning, the best in the game.