Will he be ready or won’t he? That’s the basic question surrounding Peyton Manning on the open market, because his talent is not at all in question. Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports has the latest from several sources when it comes to the health and recovery time of Manning and the reports are mixed.
“So far, so good,” said a source with one of the many teams that is interested in signing Manning. “The question is still where is it going to stop, but the progress over the past month has been steady and that’s what you’re looking for.”
Another team admitted that everyone will see things differently.
“Some of this stuff is in the eye of the beholder,” one source told Cole. “I don’t think there’s anything there that would discourage you from going forward, but you’d have to consider the risk.
“Is this a situation where I would hand the guy [a lot of guaranteed money]? No, I would be hesitant because there’s still a ways to go … really, that stuff is outside my expertise, but it’s hard to know for sure that he’s absolutely going to be ready at a certain time. I think he’ll be OK, but I don’t know exactly when.”
It’s important to note that the Miami Dolphins, one of the teams in the running here for Manning, failed Drew Brees on his physical when he was a free agent. He ended up with the New Orleans Saints, won a Super Bowl title and will lead that franchise for years to come once the current contract negotiations are settled. The Dolphins, Chiefs and other teams interested will have to also keep this in mind.
For more info on the Chiefs and their pursuit of Peyton Manning, check out Arrowhead Pride.