Peyton Manning Injury: 4 Quarterbacks Colts Should Pursue to Replace Him

In the wake of a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, the Colts quarterback situation is more muddled than ever.

Starting QB Kerry Collins was knocked out in the third quarter of the game with a concussion. Then back-up Curtis Painter entered the game. In his first series, the team went three-and-out. After that, he mixed up some good (a game-tying touchdown drive) with some bad (a fumble that led to a Steelers touchdown).

With Collins questionable for this week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and rumors flying that Manning may not be able to come back from his injury this year, the Colts are left with some tough questions to answer.

One of those questions could be—is Curtis Painter the best option at this point? He's young and (ostensibly, at least) hungry for the chance to prove himself. Although his career passing rating in just barely double digits, he has shown that he has rapport with the Colts receivers.

In addition, he played well in the first half of the Colts third preseason game this year. While that is not enough to declare him a decent back-up, when combined with his nice TD drive against Pittsburgh, it does give Colts fans some hope that he could be better than Collins.

Who else might be a better option than the immobile and heretofore inaccurate Collins? This slideshow will present the pros and cons of four of the prime candidates.

Carson Palmer Would Be a Pricy Pick-Up, but Still Has Some Gas in the Tank

One name that has been bandied about (but never substantiated by anyone with the organization) in relation to the Colts QB situation is Carson Palmer. The disgruntled Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is holding out for a trade. The trade deadline is Week 6, so the Bengals could conceivably try to get some value for him from a needy team like the Colts.

Here are the positives and negatives for Carson Palmer.

Positives:

-He performed better last year than the previous three seasons. The fact that he played for a wretched Bengals team made him look worse than he actually was. The Bengals only won four games in 2011, and looked bad through no real fault of Palmer's.

-He should be ready to stick it to the Bengals by playing hard and proving that they made a mistake by not trying to trade him before the season.

-He has a good arm and has played in an offense that has some similarities to the Colts' offense.

Negatives:

-The Colts would probably have to trade away a high draft pick to get him. The Colts seem headed toward a high draft pick in 2012. A Top 10 draft pick would be an awfully high price to pay, especially if Manning is able to play next year.

-Palmer isn't considered a top-tier NFL quarterback anymore. He is serviceable, but isn't good enough to quickly pick up the Colts offense and make hay with it right away.

Marc Bulger Is Available, but Is He a Viable Option at This Point in His Career?

Marc Bulger is a guy whose career passer rating absolutely tanked over the course of his career. He got the starting job for the St. Louis Rams after the 2002 season and had five good years in St. Louis. He's been thoroughly underwhelming since 2007, though. I don't see many positives for the Colts if they were to try to sign the recently "retired" Bulger, but here's a shot at a couple.

Positives:

-He could be added to the team cheaply, most likely.

-He is a traditional pocket passer who can find open receivers fairly well.

Negatives:

-Other teams have passed on Bulger to this point, and that tells me that he's not a prime QB anymore.

-He doesn't have any upside at this stage in his career, and I think we've seen what he can give a team. It's not enough to get the Colts any more wins than Painter and/or Collins can.

Brett Favre Probably Doesn't Want to Come Back, and the Colts Shouldn't Want Him

Of all the ridiculous whispered rumors about a potential QB for the Colts, the Brett Favre talk is the most preposterous.

Favre is headed to the broadcast booth, and he'd be wise to stay there.

Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted that he was in Favre's hometown in Mississippi last month during preseason, which led to rampant speculation that Favre may have been courted by the Colts. There doesn't seem to be any legs to these rumors, however. This is a blessing.

Positive:

-Hmm...well, uhhh...I guess he'd bring some media attention to Indianapolis?

Negatives:

-He showed last year with the Minnesota Vikings that he just doesn't have it anymore. He can't consistently avoid pressure like he did in his heyday.

-He would throw bundles of picks.

If the Colts Are Looking for Someone Else, David Garrard Is Their Best Option

David Garrard was never a star with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He seemed to play well when the lights were low, but then would shrink in big situations. But at the same time, he never had a very good set of receivers to throw to.

In addition, Garrard suffered from pusillanimous play-calling from head coach Jack Del Rio.

Garrard would be the best option if the Colts end up looking for another QB.

Positives:

-Garrard reads defenses well and can get the ball out quickly and scramble when he's under pressure.

-He had one of his better statistical seasons last year. He had his best completion percentage in his career as a starter in 2010. He also threw 23 TD passes, which registers as the most of his career. He's only been in the league since 2002, so he still has lots of good football left.

Negatives:

-He may be asking for more money than the Colts are willing to pony up.

-He's still only a slightly-above-average QB in the NFL. He might not be able to perform much better than Collins or Painter since he won't have much time to learn the offense.

The Bottom Line:

The Colts have traditionally been a risk-adverse team. They don't often take flyers on big name guys and like to cultivate talent from within the organization. My guess is that the Colts will stick with Painter and Collins as long as both of them are reasonably healthy.

Both Collins and Painter have shown some bright spots, but they are far from excellent under center. If the Colts sign someone to help out at QB it should be David Garrard. If they don't sign Garrard, the Colts could find themselves in a position to draft Manning's eventual replacement in the 2012 draft.