Peyton-palooza: Manning will have several suitors

Quarterback Peyton Manning, left, listens as Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay announces that the NFL football team will release Manning during a news conference in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)— AP
Graphic highlights Peyton Manningâ€™s career with the Indianapolis Colts— AP
Quarterback Peyton Manning, who will be released by the Indianapolis Colts, speaks during a news conference in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Manning, 35, who missed all of last season after a series of operations on his neck, has been the Colts' staring quarterback for 13 seasons, won a record four MVP awards and the 2006 Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)— AP
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, right, listens as quarterback Peyton Manning speaks during a news conference in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Manning's record-breaking run as quarterback of the Colts ended Wednesday, when Irsay announced the team would release its best player. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)— AP

— Rex Ryan's Jets need leadership in a lost locker room.

The Dolphins are looking for stability at a position that has been a revolving door since Dan Marino retired.

The Cardinals want to get back to the Super Bowl, and could be one elite quarterback away.

Peyton Manning, anyone?

The four-time NFL MVP got released by the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday, but made it clear he still wants to be on the football field.

"I realize that I'm not going to play forever, and I think I'm going to know the time to stop playing," Manning said in South Florida, where he has a home and flew to after the news conference in Indianapolis to announce his release.

"But right now," he added, "I still want to play."

The question is where.

Maybe it's Miami. The Arizona desert. Two Mannings in Manhattan?

Washington, Seattle, Kansas City, Denver and Tennessee are also possible suitors.

But for now, it's anybody's guess.

Including Manning's.

"I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works," Manning said. "I don't know if it's like college recruiting where you go take visits. I mean, this is all so new to me."

Plenty of teams will be interested in the 35-year-old free agent quarterback - as long as he proves he's healthy after missing last season while coming off a series of neck operations. If everything checks out, the laundry list of teams will be lengthy - a Peyton-palooza of sorts.

And, why not? Manning has been one of the greatest to play his position, rewriting record books while throwing for nearly 55,000 yards and 399 touchdowns, and winning a Super Bowl along the way.

Ryan's Jets could be the landing spot, a scenario that would have Manning sharing the New York-area headlines with his brother Eli of the defending Super Bowl champion Giants. That sure would ramp things up in their sibling rivalry - and the teams' back-and-forth battle for the city spotlight. It would also likely signal the end for Mark Sanchez after three up-and-down seasons.

The Dolphins have said they would strongly pursue Manning if he became available, even after Matt Moore had a solid season while taking over for a team that has tried to replace Marino since 2000.

"Dan Marino is my all-time favorite quarterback after my Dad and after Eli," said Manning, whose father Archie played 14 NFL seasons. "He's No. 3 on my list, so everybody knows how I feel about him. I literally have not had one conversation with anyone about these teams."

The Cardinals, three years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, are an intriguing possibility with one of the game's top wide receivers in Larry Fitzgerald. But they still have a lot of money invested in quarterback Kevin Kolb.

"There will be no other Peyton Manning," Colts owner Jim Irsay said.

Which is exactly why the quarterback will be one of the most sought-after free agents in NFL history.


