Peyton Manning is in the middle of a difficult breakup with the Indianapolis Colts, and it appears he’s ready to run into the arms of another NFL team.
An NFL source says Miami is on the short list of teams Manning would like to play for when/if the Colts release him to avoid paying a $28 million bonus, which is due March 8.
Manning and his wife own a condo on South Beach, and a source said they’d love to relocate if the fit is right. A second source confirmed Manning’s interest in the Dolphins.
Playing for the Dolphins would allow Manning to remain in the AFC, and the Colts are on Miami’s schedule next season, which is an added bonus.
Dolphins owner Steve Ross has openly pledged to do everything in his power to land a franchise quarterback this offseason, and NFL sources say Manning is at the top of the team’s list of targets. And unlike most of Manning’s suitors, the Dolphins have the cap space (roughly $15 million) to get a multiyear deal done without making major moves.
But there are concerns about Manning’s health, considering the 11-time Pro Bowl pick, who turns 36 in March, underwent three surgeries on his neck last offseason. Manning’s neck issues forced him to sit out all of the 2011 season.
Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, sat down with the NFL Network on Friday to clear up a few issues surrounding Manning’s health.
“There had been substantial discussion that (Peyton Manning) wasn’t going to be able to play, and that it was too dangerous and foolish for him to even think about it, and that’s not accurate,” Condon said.
“He is sound in the structural part of his neck, and he can certainly take a hit and play a football game. How effective he would be in the game, probably not as effective today as he would be two months from now.”
The Dolphins, Redskins, Seahawks and Browns are teams desperately looking for a quarterback this offseason, but the Cardinals and Jets are also expected to pursue Manning, who likely will command a salary of around $15 million a season.
EXTRA POINTS
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced a dramatic increase in the number of Thursday night NFL games televised by the NFL Network beginning next season – from the second through the 15th week. … Police in Chapel Hill, N.C., say Shane Mularkey, the son of new Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey, is among three former North Carolina athletes arrested for possession of cocaine. … Former Cowboys and Colts offensive lineman Kurt Vollers was sentenced to 21/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. … The Raiders hired Steve Hoffman as special teams coordinator, the same position he held with the Chiefs the past three years.
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