Peyton Manning is clearly very frustrated. Wouldn’t you be? In the span of a single year, he has gone from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time to wondering what his future holds. If Manning can get his neck right and it is safe for him to play next season, he isn’t even guaranteed a job with a team he has kept relevant for the past 13 years. In an extensive interview with the Indianapolis Star on Monday night, Manning sounded like his patience with the Colts is wearing thin. He said he never expected his retirement to be announced by “Sodapop Curtis,” among many other things.
“I’m not in a very good place for healing, let’s say that,” Manning said of the Colts’ facilities. “It’s not a real good environment down there right now, to say the least. Everybody’s walking around on eggshells. I don’t recognize our building right now. There’s such complete and total change.”
A 2-14 season can do that to a team. The Colts have a new general manager, Ryan Grigson. The management system has changed drastically in Indianapolis and Jim Caldwell has been fired. While he said he understands that football is a business, it sounds like Peyton is less than thrilled with the way the Colts have been cleaning house.
“I just want to pay tribute to all those guys. It’s unfortunate because so many of them have been such a big part of so many big wins here, and this is so … sudden. Their keys didn’t work the next day. There’s no other way to do it? I don’t know. That’s hard to see, all these people leaving.
“And I may be behind them. Who knows?”
Football is a business, but it’s clear that there are multiple ways to handle the business aspect of it and Manning disagrees with the way the Colts have gone about things.
“Whatever happens, happens. I can’t give you a prediction because Jim (Irsay) and I will sit down at some point and he’ll get a feel for where I am and I’ll get a sense of what direction he wants to go. Right now, I have no idea.”
For those of you who aren’t very attentive, the New England Patriots players — even Tom Brady — call owner Robert Kraft “Mr. Kraft.” I’ve heard Steelers players refer to “Mr. Rooney” as well. Peyton is clearly unhappy. If he ends up playing in 2012, I’d be surprised if Manning is wearing a Colts jersey.
