When Colts quarterback Peyton Manning signed his current deal with the Colts, Manning went for every last penny. Some criticized him for not leaving enough money for the franchise to put a team around him, and yet the Colts continued to be highly successful.
This time around, there’s no salary cap. But it likely will return in 2011. When it does, the Colts may have to be even more creative when it comes to finding and paying other players.
According to Vic Carucci of NFL.com, Manning hopes to create “maximum leverage” before signing his next deal. That’s why Manning and agent Tom Condon rejected the team’s request to talk contract during the bye.
As MDS pointed out on Monday, Manning is taking a huge risk. If he tears an ACL or pops an Achilles’ tendon, he’ll suddenly have minimum leverage.
Manning is willing to take that risk. Which makes sense in light of the potential reward, a deal that we suspect will be closer to $30 million per year than $20 million.