Eli Manning stole the spotlight from his older brother Peyton, winning his second Super Bowl MVP Sunday as the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
With Eli and his teammates back in New York preparing for the late night talk show circuit and Tuesday’s victory parade through the city, the focus again shifts back to Peyton’s future.
Due a $28 million roster bonus on March 8, Manning is not expected to be a member of the Colts next season as he and owner Jim Irsay have traded jabs in the media leading up to the Super Bowl.
Manning, who missed the entire 2011 season and is recovering from his third neck surgery, has been medically cleared to play.
The question now is where.
The Cardinals, Dolphins, Redskins and other teams have been mentioned, but another Super Bowl champion quarterback said interested teams need to do their homework before moving forward with Manning.
“The huge piece of the puzzle is his health,” NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner told Brad Cesmat Monday on “Big Guy on Sports.” “How healthy is he? I’m not sure anybody knows yet…there’s so much that’s undetermined right now with his health. I truly believe he wants to play again.”
Kurt Warner on ‘Big Guy on Sports’
The 35-year old Manning, who has spent his entire 14-year career with the Colts, is in a similar position to Warner who signed with the Cardinals in 2004 at age 33.
“That becomes a whole [different] animal right there,” Warner explained to Cesmat. “Finding the right place. You have to find the right piece to re-establish yourself at that age. I was fortunate to be able to do some things at the end of the my career here in Arizona, but it’s a process. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
If the four-time MVP and 11-time Pro Bowler does choose Arizona, he won’t need to look long for a place to live.
“I actually got a house for sale,” Warner deadpanned. “I can just fit him right in there if it worked out.”
