It’s unclear whether the Kansas City Chiefs are completely set at quarterback with Matt Cassel coming back from injury or whether they are open to making major moves to find a new starter. Fans will likely say one thing, but it’s clear that Pioli likes Cassel and that Cassel took the Chiefs to 10 wins just last season. But that hasn’t stopped some from hoping the Chiefs go for a major draft pick like Robert Griffin III or trade for a veteran like Peyton Manning. That second option is now an impossibility, according to a report from Mike Lombardi.
From the NFL’s main site comes a report that Manning will remain in Indianapolis next season, presumably alongside the first overall choice in the draft who is likely to be Andrew Luck. While that bolsters the most important position on the field, it does keep the Colts from getting better in other places. Apparently that doesn’t matter.
It’s believed the Colts could usher in a new era with a complete overhaul of the roster, including Manning, which has fueled speculation of where the four-time NFL MVP will or won’t play next season. But not everyone has punched Manning’s ticket out of Indy.
“I have said this emphatically: Peyton Manning will be a Colt,” NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi told “NFL GameDay Morning” on Sunday. “I believe Peyton Manning won’t be traded, and I believe if Peyton Manning plays anywhere next year – and that’s not a 100 percent certainty — that he will play for the Colts.”
New Colts GM Ryan Grigson likely knew this coming in. After all, what general manager would take the job without knowing what he could or could not do in terms of his trade assets. While it might not be the smartest thing in today’s NFL where veterans are thrown away when they are no longer deemed necessary, it’s a nice gesture of loyalty and commitment from a franchise to its player.