Andrew Luck: Will Peyton Manning and Luck Be Next Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers?

The Indianapolis Colts are 0-5 this season. The last time they were this bad was the year before they drafted Peyton Manning No. 1 overall out of Tennessee.

Since that time No. 18 has become one of the best quarterbacks the league has ever known.

He not only turned the Indianapolis Colts franchise around, but he helped usher in a new era of football.

There have been a number of quarterbacks drafted since his debut in the league, but none have ever truly lived up to the No. 1 overall pick and franchise quarterback expectations the way he has.

But this year there is one prospect that many believe is the next Peyton Manning.

Had he come out last year he would have been the No. 1 pick over Heisman Trophy and National Championship winner, Cam Newton.

This quarterback is, of course, Stanford's Andrew Luck. The Cardinal signal caller is coveted by nearly every team with a quarterback need, and the Colts are no different.

Owner Jim Irsay, never one to be shy, talked about the prospects of Indianapolis drafting Luck should they get the opportunity.

In a Yahoo! Sports article from Jason Cole, Irsay says:

"

Guys like that come along so rarely ... Even if that means that guy sits for three or four years, you’d certainly think about taking him … you see what Green Bay did with [Brett] Favre and [Aaron] Rodgers and you’d like to be able to do the same thing.

"

Peyton Manning was just awarded a five-year contract extension prior to the open of the season.

If Manning were healthy the Colts would have considered adding his heir a few years down the road. If Manning were healthy they would be nowhere close to getting a shot at Luck.

But as "luck" would have it, Manning is unlikely to return to the playing field this season, and there is a good chance they finish as the worst team in the league.

Both the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins are winless like the Colts.

Could Manning and Luck be the next Favre and Rodgers?

The Packers got lucky with Rodgers falling down the board to No. 24 in 2005. He could have very easily been the No. 1 pick to the 49ers over Alex Smith.

But Green Bay couldn't pass up the opportunity, and it looks like Irsay is thinking the same thing.

What is the best way to replace Peyton Manning?

Finding next Peyton Manning.

Behind any other quarterback Luck would likely take over as a rookie. He's long been considered an NFL-ready quarterback with above average athleticism, a ridiculous arm and the maturity to handle the rigors of starting at quarterback in the NFL.

With Manning he'd have to wait (assuming Manning comes back completely healthy) at least a year or two.

Would Luck be open to the possibility? Likely.

Would Manning be more welcoming than Favre was to Rodgers? Very likely.

Are the Colts seriously considering this as a possibility? It appears so.

With Manning on the field the Colts are unlikely to have a top five or top-10 pick any time in the near future.

Andrew Luck isn't just another quarterback; he's the next great quarterback. 

Should the Colts have this opportunity and pass on him it will come back to haunt them. As wild and wacky as Jim Irsay can be, it looks like he already knows this.