Jilted by the Indianapolis Colts before the 2012 season, Peyton Manning returned the favor on Monday.
The Colts, who released Manning in a cost-cutting measure after his neck surgery cost him the 2011 season, offered to sign the quarterback to a one-day contract, allowing him to retire with the team for whom he had spent 14 of his 18 seasons (including his missed season in 2011).
Rams Refusal To Guarantee Peyton Manning Starting QB Job Led To His Retirement
For some reason, Manning chose not to.
Sources tell me Peyton thought hard about "retiring as a member of #Colts." Gave serious consideration. But, ultimately decided no.
— Dave Furst (@DaveFurst) March 17, 2016
Staying with the Broncos afforded Manning to avoid drawing more attention to himself, CBS Sports surmised.
"It's not like Manning spit on someone's grave in Indy or just can't stand the way the Colts ran him off and is refusing to go back. He had a retirement ceremony in Indy and got his jersey number retired.
"He's either the greatest Colts player of all time or part of some really heated argument involving Johnny Unitas for the honor.
"Maybe it's as simple as Manning believing the best way to walk away is not draw too much attention to yourself. He got the ceremonies and he won a Super Bowl in his final game. He's probably content with the way things are going."
The fallacy of that logic is that Manning was going to receive attention about where he chose to retire, regardless.
Manning still might be resentful that the Colts gave up on him during his lost 2011 season, in which they subsequently released him. It sounds the same as the Broncos' treatment of Brock Osweiler, whom Denver benched in the regular season finally against the Chargers, turning around and signing with the Houston Texans in the offseason.
Osweiler reportedly did not appreciate getting benched in the regular-season finale, and Manning may not have appreciated the Colts decision to move on from him in 2012.
It could be argued that Manning chose the Broncos because he finished his career as a Super Bowl champion, he resurrected his career in Denver and he set NFL records for passing yards (5,477) and touchdown passes (55) in 2013 with the Broncos.
But the Colts stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, is known as "The House That Manning Built." He has a much bigger legacy with the Colts, especially with their move from Baltimore to Indianapolis.
He played in two Super Bowls with the Colts and likely will be identified with Indy long after he's gone.
There was talk that contractually, Manning couldn't sign with the Colts because of his retirement with the Broncos, but that hardly seems like a detail that would have precluded Manning from asking the Broncos to allow him to sign with the Colts.
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