He could have been the highest paid player in the game. He’ll settle for $90 million.
It’s a funny world Peyton Manning lives in — one that most of us will never even be able to relate to. But what is clear is that Manning left $10 million on the table for the Colts to be able to maneuver, and for a team with several holes and no significant moves thus far, that’s a helpful amount of money. In fact, it’s enough to begin to cement some of the key resignings.
Even after selecting Ben Ijalana and Anthony Costanzo in the draft, the Colts have Charlie Johnson out there as a UFA. They also need to resign Joseph Addai. Both players could be key for the Colts this season, seeing as how the Colts could push Ijalana to guard and bolster the line even further with the new big bodies.
The Colts also have the significant task of signing Robert Mathis to a major extension. Mathis has certainly proven his worth as a top-shelf pass rusher in a league where that’s a rare commodity. Mathis has 32 sacks the last three seasons and it’s vital the Colts have the ability to pressure the opposing quarterback since the secondary also has some holes.
Manning will now be in Tom Brady territory rather than a stratosphere all his own. While the word sacrifice still doesn’t come to mind, Colts fans might see it that way, especially if it allows them to keep several key players.