The Indianapolis Colts reportedly would strongly consider drafting Andrew Luck if they have the opportunity. Shocker, I know, I’m also surprised to hear that they like talented players. Next thing you know we’ll be told they like winning, too. Anyway, that puts the Colts in an interesting position because if they drafted Luck, they would have him and future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning is recovering from multiple neck surgeries, but he was still one of the league’s best quarterbacks last season. Former Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms said on Inside the NFL that there’s no way Manning would allow the Colts to draft Luck.
“There is no way if Peyton Manning is given a clean bill of health — I’m going to go on that assumption — that he is going to let them draft Andrew Luck. There is no way, in my opinion, these two will be on the same team. And it’s not because Peyton doesn’t like him.
“In this day and age, even with Peyton Manning, people would be crying, ‘We’ve got to see Andrew Luck.’ ”
Simms also was critical of Luck’s ability to throw the ball, saying he was more impressed by Luck’s running ability.
“I think the analogies about Andrew Luck are going way overboard, and I think he is a terrific player. I think what gets wasted when you look at him, to me, he’s a better runner than thrower,” Simms said. “He’s Tim Tebow-like running the football, except he looks faster. But when I watch him throw, I don’t see John Elway. I don’t see Dan Marino. I don’t see Sam Bradford, who I thought was a knockdown thrower, coming out of college.”
I understand Phil’s point, but that decision obviously would not be Peyton’s. If the Colts have the chance to draft Luck, they would. And then you’d have the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers in a new form, only one would hope Peyton would handle things more gracefully than Brett.
Even though transitioning from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck would be ideal for the Colts fans and franchise, Phil’s point is that it won’t be as easy as we think. Peyton still believes in himself, and he probably doesn’t like hearing talk about a replacement. It sounds weird, but at some point we have to think about Peyton eventually playing for a new team. That is, unless the Dolphins say otherwise.
