There was talk midway through last season about Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning potentially taking a front office job with the Cleveland Browns after he retired. It seemed to make sense, as Manning is one of the sharpest football minds in the game and has a close relationship with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. So, if Manning ended up coming to Cleveland, I’d definitely be on board.
To clarify, if Manning came to the Browns in a front office position, I’d be on board. It’s a completely different story if he came to Cleveland hoping to play.
Apparently, this is now a topic of discussion. Word is Manning is undecided on retiring, though Denver seems intent on moving on. So, if he did want to give it one more year, he’d have to find a new team. More than a few people are suggesting the Browns be that team.
Personally, I don’t think this union would make sense for either party. You can try to spin it multiple ways in an attempt to sell it as a good idea, but frankly, Cleveland shouldn’t put any focus towards trying to sign Manning if he indeed wants to give it another go.
Do the Browns have a solid quarterback situation as is? No. Would this change depending on who the team drafts this spring? Probably not, at least not right away. None of the top quarterback prospects have been deemed ready to start immediately, so whoever Cleveland picks will likely need to stay on the bench for some time.
Still, this hardly means a quarterback-starved franchise needs to consider Manning as an option.
First of all, anyone who watched Manning this year clearly saw a player who looks like he’s on his last legs. His game has deteriorated, and his Super Bowl victory was very obviously thanks to Denver’s dominant defense.
With that said, why would a Cleveland team in its first year of a rebuild hitch its wagon to a quarterback who’s approaching age 40 and who may or may not survive the full season?
Of course, some would argue Manning would be the perfect mentor for whichever rookie QB the Browns end up drafting. Why wouldn’t you want a young quarterback to learn from a future Hall of Famer?
At the same time, if Manning is coming back for one last year, do you really think it’s so he can be a teacher? Do you really believe that itch to keep playing is because he just wants to help a young player take his job? If he forgoes retirement for another season, it’ll be so he can play the entire year, not prepare himself for clipboard duty.
Finally, if you’re Manning, and you just won the Super Bowl despite playing through the wear and tear of almost 20 years in the NFL, why would you go to the Browns? This would essentially be getting to the top of the mountain, then voluntarily tumbling back down to the bottom.
Cleveland is nowhere near ready to compete next year. If Manning finds the idea of following up a championship with a three or four-win season appealing, more power to him. However, he’d also be playing behind an offensive line which may or may not get significantly depleted in free agency next week. This certainly shouldn’t sound appealing to many people, much less someone who claims he can’t feel his fingertips and needs assistance undressing after games.
As you can see, Manning and the Browns are hardly a match made in heaven. Basic logic says the smartest move for Manning is to retire. However, if he still thinks he could survive one more year, who am I to say he shouldn’t give it a shot.
Just as long as that one more year isn’t spent in Cleveland.
