The Peyton Manning situation in Indianapolis has gotten ugly over the past couple of weeks, and it will probably get worse before it gets better. Manning is frustrated. He does not seem to know what his standing is with the Colts. In addition to that, rumor has it he is struggling with his rehab. When Manning expressed his displeasure with the way Jim Irsay and the Colts have conducted business since the season ended, Irsay responded by saying Manning should be careful about “painting the horseshoe in a negative light.” Enter NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin, who said what many of us were thinking over the weekend.
“Whatever understanding we have of what Irsay called ‘the horseshoe’ is Peyton Manning,” Irvin said according to The Huddle. “The horseshoe is first? The horseshoe is nothing before Peyton got here. You could’ve taken that horseshoe, and you couldn’t have given it away. It wasn’t lucky, it was killing you. This horseshoe was garbage without Peyton — it was garbage when he got here and garbage when he left here this season.”
Irvin’s right. This isn’t Randy Moss joining a Super Bowl-winning Patriots team that is giving him an opportunity to rescue his career. Before the Colts drafted Manning, their last division title was in 1987. With Manning calling the signals, they won eight division titles in 13 seasons. They went to two Super Bowls and won one of them.
If it is time for the Colts to move on from the Manning era, Irsay and company should watch what they say — not the other way around. Indianapolis’ 2-14 record this year further proved how valuable Peyton has been to the franchise. A Brett Favre-style exit is not in the best interest of the Colts franchise, especially if they want their fans to continue supporting them as they begin rebuilding.
