While much of the talk surrounding Peyton Manning‘s potential departure from the Indianapolis Colts has centered on the Washington Redskins there are at least two other teams who may put in a call to Jim Irsay.
The Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals are expected to go after Manning if he becomes available according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.
With Joe Philbin taking over as head coach in Miami the natural speculation was that the team would pursue free agent Green Bay Packers backup Matt Flynn. However, a healthy Manning would supersede any pursuit of Flynn.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, do not appear sold on Kevin Kolb being a long-term solution at this point. The success Kurt Warner had with the team late in his career helps to alleviate any concerns of bring an aging quarterback on board.
Whether a healthy Manning, who turns 36 in March, can be considered a long-term solution remains to be seen.
Follow me on Twitter: @FNNChuck
I believe that if Payton is healthy enough to play again, the opportunity in Miami could represent an immediate playoff and Super Bowl threat in 2012. The offensive weapons are already in place for a QB of Payton’s pedigree. The defense in Miami is also pretty solid as well. However, the same can be said of the Cardinals even though they’re in the NFC West.