Why Peyton Manning Retirement, Andrew Luck Selection Are Inevitable for Colts

Even in the NFL, all good things must come to an end. Players do not play forever—in fact, most play well past their welcome (thank you, Brett Favre) and their legacy is tarnished because of greed.

Let's all hope for the purity of the game that Peyton Manning will know when his body has had enough and will leave the game gracefully.

Three surgeries on your neck might be an indication your career is quickly coming to a close.

Manning is the Indianapolis Colts. He is the most polarizing figure in the NFL when it comes to team association. The Patriots have had other cogs in their system. The Steelers are a "team-first" organization. The Cowboys are Jerry Jones first, and everyone else after.

The Colts are Peyton Manning.

That is why the thought of losing such an icon not only for the city of Indianapolis but the NFL is such a gut-wrenching thought. However, in simple terms, it is going to happen sooner than later.

And finally, the Colts need to plan for the future—or in this instance, the present.

Indianapolis has a great opportunity to transition the present and the future in one move.

It is almost inevitable now the Colts will select first in the 2012 NFL Draft and Andrew Luck is staring them in the face. Luck is the best passer to come out of college since, well, Manning in 1998.

And with those credentials, it is a no-brainer to make this happen. Maybe he does not start right away. Maybe Manning plays one more season. Maybe Luck gets thrown to the wolves like others, but he is the most complete quarterback and most NFL-ready passer to come out of the draft.

And while Oliver Luck was not Archie Manning, the pedigree helps make the transition easier.

The Colts are awful, and we as fans know that. However, it is not the quarterback's fault everything has fallen apart. The running has never been a strong suite since the days of Edgerrin James. The receivers are pedestrian this year because there is no Manning. The defense lost starters like Clint Session and Bob Sanders.

This is not a quick fix and quick blame on the loss of the team's most valuable commodity. About 80 percent of the team's trouble is centered around the loss of Manning, but this is also a team that is older than last year and a step slower.

Blame should be focused on the entire organization.

And it should be Luck who brings this team back to prominence.

It is the same principal of Brett Favre leaving Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers being pegged as the savior.

Manning could shock the world, come back in 2012 and light the world on fire. He could also start the season and throw errant passes all over the place like Blaine Gabbert. Wouldn't it be comforting to know there was someone waiting in the wings that could pick up where the greatest passer of this generation left off?

The Colts have no choice but to make this move.