NFL: Colts made Manning decision weeks ago

The Indianapolis Colts have reportedly made up their minds and will release veteran Quarter-Back Peyton Manning in the same week a squabble broke out between for the former number draft pick and the franchise owner Jim Irsay.

According to NFL Network Insider Jason La Canfora the franchise made their decision weeks ago to move on from the 36-year-old Manning who missed the entire season due to a neck injury.

La Canfora made the statement on ‘NFL Total Access’ on Friday just hours after Manning and Irsay released a joint statement saying that all was good between the pair following an exchanging of words via the media during the week.

“According to sources who were involved in the Colts’ GM search, the organization was planning to move on from Manning weeks ago, well before this public squabble between the quarterback and his owner.” La Canfora said.

“So Friday’s joint statement won’t be changing a thing,” added La Canfora who also said that the Colts, who are due to owe Manning $28 million in roster bonus will make the decision before the ‘Scouting Combine’.

The Colts owner took to social media network site twitter to say that the report is not true as he said: “No he hasn’t been released nor was a decision reached weeks ago.”

It has been an interesting week for Manning and Irsay with the quarter-back saying it was ‘dark time for him’ in the organisation following the firings of Vice President of football operations Bill Polian, his son and general manager Chris as well as head coach Jim Caldwell, all three of Peyton’s closest allies.

Irsay responded by saying that Manning should have kept it ‘in the family’ at the introductory media conference of new head coach Chuck Pagano, formally the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator on Thursday.

However on Friday both men released a joint statement which did not say whether or not Manning would be remaining in Indianapolis, the team that drafted him with the first overall pick back in 1998 or move him on.

Manning who didn’t play this entire season following neck surgery in the off-season witnessed first hand the Colts (2-14) only win two games on their way to a league’s worst record and the first overall pick in this year draft.

Various sources have indicated that the Colts will select the highly rated Stanford Quarter-back Andrew Luck with their first selection.