Now that Peyton Manning’s future with the Indianapolis Colts has been decided–the official, official word comes at 12 pm ET, but the cat’s already out of the bag–the speculation turns to where which team will Manning be throwing the football for next season.
A number of publications have already begun the speculation game, with The Sporting News giving us perhaps the most concise breakdown. Over at ESPN’s hall of football coverage, they went one further and listed every team in the NFL and their shot at landing Manning. So what we’ve done is taken a few screenshots and cobbled them together, presenting something like an infographic, again, courtesy of ESPN’s “we’ll look at every team” overindulgence.
Be warned, it’s something of a scroll monster:
If that’s too much for you, here’s a snippet of the Sporting News’ much more abridged outlook:
1. Miami Dolphins
Why this fits: They have been searching for a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino retired. Owner Stephen Ross loves stars, and Manning is a big one. Imagine the buzz Manning would create in South Florida. You can almost picture Manning at a restaurant on South Beach, or courtside watching LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.2. Arizona Cardinals
Why this fits: Name a quarterback that does not want to play with Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are still searching for Kurt Warner’s successor.3. New York Jets
Why this fits: Some believe Manning would never come to New York, where younger brother and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning is king. The hype-a-minute nature of New York does not seem to fit Manning’s style, nor does bombastic coach Rex Ryan.
TSN goes on to list four more teams, and there’s actually more information offered for each team they list. For the previous blockquote, I only took a portion from each team.
With that in mind, where do you think Manning will wind up? Arizona? Miami? A team we haven’t mentioned yet? Let us know what you think.