The Kansas City Chiefs are hardly discussed among the likely landing spots or best destinations for Peyton Manning among the mainstream media if the longtime Colts quarterback is released as expected here in the next few weeks. Given the state of quarterback needy teams, most expect Manning to head south to Miami or east to quarterback in Washington. But the Dolphins and Redskins aren’t the only players and the Chiefs loom as a surprise destination for some.
John Clayton calls it an interesting proposition after being asked about it in a mailbag column. The reader bangs the same drum we’ve been discussing here for some time — that Manning would have all the right weapons around him to go with a strong defensive unit in a weak division — and Clayton seems to like what he hears.
He writes, “That is an interesting proposition and one that isn’t being discussed. Romeo Crennel and Scott Pioli have gone on the record saying they will open up the competition for the starting QB job. The thought was that they would re-sign Kyle Orton to compete against Cassel. An upgrade to Manning would be interesting. I would say it’s unlikely, but the Chiefs could warm up to the idea as Manning gets closer to being released.”
While Clayton seems slow to wake up to what chatter has gone on around the Manning situation (since ESPN’s own Mel Kiper among others have listed the Chiefs among the top five), everyone seems to agree that the move could make sense for all parties involved. Certainly the ridiculous amount of salary cap room the Chiefs will have makes this possible.