While NFL’s free agency period will create a frenzy of “where will he go?” articles for players far and wide, no single player will create nearly the furor that Peyton Manning will. The top tier quarterback is likely to hit the market in some way via trade from the Colts unless the team and quarterback do an about face, make up and somehow co-exist even as the entire roster and front office and coaching staff turn over.
It’s likely, instead, that Manning is dealt if he can prove healthy enough to play next season. If that’s the case, there are a fair amount of teams that make sense to make a play for the veteran quarterback, and the Kansas City Chiefs are among those according to Anthony Sanfilippo of the Daily Times.
Sanfilippo writes, “The Chiefs showed their mettle late in the season and almost wormed their way into the playoffs a second straight year. Manning would be an instant upgrade at quarterback over Matt Cassel and has a top-tier target there in Dwayne Bowe. Also, a nice young defense has been constructed in K.C., which would get the ball in Manning’s hands more often.”
While all of those points are true, the evidence only gets stronger from there. The Chiefs backfield is instantly better than anything the Colts ever had in Manning’s entire tenure there with the return of Jamaal Charles from injury. He has a Dallas Clark like target in Tony Moeaki coming back as well. Steven Breaston provides the perfect complementary receiver, and Jon Baldwin is another potential stud in the making. It’s a complete offense with strong skill position players that only need a quarterback to deliver the goods.