Peyton Manning: Colts' QB Needs Indy Wins to Keep Andrew Luck out of Town

How cruel is this? Two meaningless games directly impact the lasting legacy of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

Nobody will be rooting harder for the Indianapolis Colts over the last two weeks of the season than injured quarterback Peyton Manning.

Why?

Because the rest of his career depends on it.

The face of the franchise is going to be shown the door if the Colts land the first pick of the draft because that means they’ll have the opportunity to draft can’t-miss prospect Andrew Luck.

If the Colts end up going 1-15, they will get the first overall pick, but if they win one of their last two games, they’ll fall below the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings, two teams destined to finish the year 2-14.

With Luck off the board and the Colts picking second or third, Manning finishes his career as a member of the Colts with just a small asterisk next to the 2011 season as if this year never happened.

If the Colts do indeed select Luck, they will have to do something with Manning. At the age of 36, fresh off three neck surgeries in 19 months, he doesn’t exactly sound as appealing as a 22-year-old that has NFL pedigree and all of the tools to become the next John Elway. He could be the Colts’ franchise QB for the next 10-15 years.

The Colts would trade Manning to a team that are suffering from some serious QB issues of their own, like the Washington Redskins or New York Jets.

Is that what the ultra-loyal Manning wants? To play for an owner like Dan Snyder or a coach like Rex Ryan? No way. He wants to win more rings with the Colts and nobody else.

That’s why Manning is rooting so hard for Indy. His entire legacy will be shaped based upon what happens over the final two weeks of the season.

So don’t be surprised when they show an overzealous Manning pumping two fists for every first down the Colts get.

His legacy is on the line.