Colts Need To Rebuild Without Peyton Manning
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By DERON SNYDER
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, clearly filled with emotion after reaching a momentous decision, steps up to the lectern and empties his heart:
“It was difficult, but it was time and it was the right decision to make,” Irsay says. “Fourteen years is a long time in this league. There are a lot of great memories, and I’ll treasure all those memories. But it was time.”
We don’t have to imagine the scene at Colts headquarters. It occurred Monday following a 2-14 season. But the subject was Bill Polian, who was fired after building the Colts into a long-running powerhouse.
Irsay might as well save those words and utter them again soon — in reference to quarterback Peyton Manning.
Parting with Manning might seem difficult to Irsay and a generation of Colts fans so accustomed to seeing No. 18 under center. They love the sight of him in the backfield, running the offense like a maestro conducting an orchestra. Manning and the Colts became synonymous with sustained excellence, to the tune of 141 regular-season wins, 11 playoff appearances, six division titles, two AFC championships and one Super Bowl title.
Yet, there comes a time when teams must move on without their beloved icon. Unless logic is thrown out the window in favor of emotion, the Colts have reached that point with Manning.
