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Report: Colts wanted to trade Peyton Manning in 2004
The Colts reportedly tried to trade Peyton Manning in 2004. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis Colts wanted to trade their franchise quarterback Peyton Manning in 2004, while the team was still competing for playoff spots and Super Bowl championships, reports the Indianapolis Star.
According to Colts owner Jim Irsay, former Colts general manager Bill Polian was “at wit’s end” as he tried to sign Manning to a new contract, when the subject of trading Manning was brought up. The Colts eventually signed Manning to a $99.2 million contract with $34.5 million guaranteed and the team won the Super Bowl two seasons later.
Polian said, “We need to trade Peyton; we can get a bunch of defensive players and become like Tampa Bay or Baltimore.” Irsay said no. “Understand something, Bill, we are not trading Peyton Manning, period,’’ Irsay recalled telling the former team president.
“There’s his myth that there’s no loyalty in football,” Irsay said. “Well, there’s tremendous loyalty and emotion and respect that go into the coaches and players you’ve gone into battle with. But as an owner you have to make the decisions that are the right ones for the organization, that are the right ones that will help you win. And you have to have a vision of how you’re going to get there.’’
Manning won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award in 2004 after throwing for 4,557 yards and a then-NFL record 49 touchdowns. The Colts ended up releasing Manning last March and he went on to sign with the Denver Broncos.
The NFL has the players by the short hairs. The idea now is to have a lot of draft choices. Play them until they get hurt or asked for too much money then release them and let other teams worry about their financial needs. Case in point, the Vikes trade Percy Harvin for 3 draft choices and then sign Greg Jennings for less money than what they had to pay Harvin, now they have the 3 draft choice, which at least two of the them should make an impact.. If Harvin doesn't prove out because of injuries or otherwise the Vikings made a wonderful move. Kinda like the Hershel Walker trade that made Dallas a winner of 3 Super Bowls and Minnesota none.
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Likelucky for Polian that he didnt do it otherwise he would be fired on 2005
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LikeWow. An Irsay does something with no class. Who would have believed it?
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LikeWhat kind of a fool would trade away Peyton Manning while he's in the middle of his prime? How in the world can this be accurate? If it is accurate, why is it being made public 9 years after the fact?
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LikeJohn4 "How in the world can this be accurate?"
Worthy merits of your argument aside, consider the source of the story, his motivation and his family's lack of any real concern for the fans. Conclusion: it's NOT accurate!
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LikeYou really think Bob Irsay consulted his 25 yr old son about moving his team?
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LikeIf accurate, that gives me a whole new perspective on Polian. I have thought for a while that he built a bad roster (especially on defense) by investing too much in a single player. If Irsay is correct, Polian couldn't do anything else because his hands were tied.
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LikeSandbagSix Yeah, it also makes me wonder if former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum's hands were tied in drafting Mark Sanchez, signing him to an undeserved extension and trading for Tim Tebow. With these poor owners being held captive by their GM's, this whole responsibility thing just gets so confusing!!
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LikeSandbagSix Sarcasm aside, Newton's First Law of Gravity is firmly in place within NFL organizations. $%&@ does indeed roll downhill.
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LikeSandbagSix it should give you the perspective that polian would have made a bad choice. either build the team with a great qb and bad defense, win the superbowl OR trade peyton...get a good defense... and MAYBE win a superbowl.....
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LikeCalebBenoit SandbagSix If you accept the argument that today's NFL is offense, and more specifically, QB driven, I think it's unlikely that a smart GM like Polian would have embraced a strategy of trading Manning and trying to build a team around a good defense. The story is bs being spread by a big bs'er.
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LikeMr. Irsay, Your family moved the Colts out of Baltimore in the middle of the night and broke the hearts of hundreds of thousands of fans. Don't talk about loyalty in sports. DON'T!!!!
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LikePWINGS
And then that city accepted the Cleveland Browns without any problem, hippocrit!!
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LikeYou really think Bob Irsay consulted with his 25 yr. old son about moving his team?
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