Six Teams Have Already Reached Out to Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning is a future Hall of Famer. Before three neck surgeries in the past two years helped end his 2011 season, he was still at the top of his game. With his recent release and buzz that his arm strength and health were both on the mend, it was only natural to expect a knee-jerk reaction from teams around the league.
While several teams that have even remote quarterback concerns will at least consider giving a call for Manning, six known teams are out in the open.
According to NFL Network‘s Jason La Canfora via Twitter, the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos have all expressed interest in Manning. That’s five teams. Add the New York Jets, who have tossed themselves into the ring already, make it six.
As La Canfora leads to when he says, “surely more to come”, this won’t be the end of the list. However, as Peyton Manning ponders the offers, one by one these teams will drop from the list of potential candidates.
My initial list included the 49ers, Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins and Redskins (in that order), and four of those five appear to be alive and well in the running (hold that thought on the 49ers).
The Seahawks have emerged as real threats, as they are reportedly willing to spend some big money and have plans to lure Manning to Seattle. On the flip-side, the Broncos are suddenly turning into an interesting suitor.
Teams we would have never guessed are likely to start popping out of nowhere in rumors over the next week (if Manning is even a free agent that long), but La Canfora concedes the Houston Texans (rumored) won’t be one of them.
Speculation across the league has the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars as potential suitors.
ESPN‘s Adam Schefter has stuck firmly to his “Final Four“, saying that simple logic can rule out most of the other rumored teams. As it stands, the teams currently expressing strong interest (Dolphins, Cardinals, Jets, Redskins, Seahawks and Broncos) are more than likely the favorites to land Manning in the end.
*Image taken from The Washington Post
