Everyone is waiting on the official word from Jim Irsay, Ryan Grigson, Peyton Manning or well, anyone, for that matter connected to Manning’s future availability on the free agent market. Will he leave the Colts? Will he be free to sign? That’s the question everyone wants to know and yet it won’t happen until Irsay, the team’s owner, sits down with the iconic quarterback. Unfortunately, Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star says that no such meeting has occurred.
Chappell writes, "The waiting game continues with Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Despite anticipation a meeting would take place this week to at least begin the process of determining the rehabilitating quarterback’s future with the team, that did not occur.
“On his Twitter account, owner Jim Irsay wrote: ‘Things r quiet this week n weekend,getting ready for NFL Combine,completing coaching staff,analyzing roster. There’s no news on Peyton.’”
Manning, of course, is the top free agent quarterback prize if he’s healthy and a number of teams have already been connected to him — from the Miami Dolphins to the Washington Redskins. A number of columns have also been posted on where he might go and Vegas even has betting odds available for those who want to put some money behind their best guess.
For the Chiefs, Manning would represent far more than the “competition” that Romeo Crennel spoke about bringing in this off-season against Matt Cassel. Most likely were picturing Kyle Orton or Jason Campbell as the likely free agents to enter Chiefs training camp. But Manning would also bring an instant contender status to a team with impact weapons already in place around the quarterback position. With the right person in place and some key draft picks, the Chiefs could easily become the class of the AFC West and then some.
Still it all depends on a meeting and one that has no timeline in place. If anything, the deadline of March 8 — the date when Manning has the major $28 million bonus due — will speed things along. Until then, it’s all a waiting game.