Peyton Manning is holding off his decision to return for the 2015 season on March 9 after new medical evaluations of his thigh and neck, but he may not get the chance. Reports have surfaced out of Denver that the Broncos might just move on from Manning, who struggled with injuries and his performance over the last six games of the season.
Brock Osweiler is the only other quarterback on the Broncos’s roster and has thrown just 30 passes in the NFL, all in garbage time. The news comes as a surprise after general manager John Elway’s statements after the season ended.
“The bottom line is we want him back and its going to come down to what Peyton wants to do,” Elway said then.
The Broncos don’t have to be in a hurry to make a decision on Manning and after meeting with his doctors Manning may make it for them. Manning still has two years left on the five-year deal he signed with Denver in 2012 and will make $19 million in 2015 if he stays on the team.
Farmer admits texting Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan during games
There was no real mystery to who was guilty of sending clandestine texts to the sidelines during Cleveland Browns games this season, but culprit was officially named Wednesday when Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told reporters that general manager Ray Farmer admitted to the team he was the texter.
Texting is a violation of NFL rules and could result in fines and loss of draft picks for the Browns. The story first broke after Shanahan quit the team in January as one of the primary reasons he chose not to return. Haslam is standing behind Farmer, at least today.
“I think Ray Farmer knows and has said (to us) that he has made a mistake in sending those texts,” Haslam said. “Ray feels terrible about it. Ray’s a guy, I’ve known a lot of people, I think has utmost integrity.”
Not exactly high praise from a guy that was indicted by the U.S. Justice Department and had to pay a $92 million fine for cheating customers of his Pilot Flying J stores.
Colts release LaRon Landry and two other players
Safety LaRon Landry was supposed to be the answer in the Indianapolis Colts’ secondary, but after two lackluster years and a four-game PED suspension, the team has seen enough. Wednesday, the Colts sent Landry packing along with linebacker Andrew Jackson and offensive lineman Xavier Nixon. Releasing Landry will save the Colts $2.2 million in salary cap space this season.
Landry landed his big deal with Indianapolis after a career-year with the Jets where he registered 100 tackles, four forced fumbles, two picks and a touchdown. Landy’s 2013 was decent, but he missed four games with injuries. After sitting out the beginning of 2014, Landry didn’t get his starting job back until Week 16.
Jackson hits the bricks after receiving his second DUI in a calendar year. Nixon missed the team plane on the way to the AFC Championship. Needless to say, the Colts lament none of these moves.
Steelers looking to lock up Ben Roethlisberger for the rest of his career
Wednesday morning Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert announced the team was beginning negotiations with Ben Roethlisberger to lock in the 33-year-old quarterback until he retires.
Roethlisberger is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, completing a career-high 67.1 percent of his passes for a career-high 4,952 yards and 32 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. Roethlisberger’s 103.3 quarterback rating is the second highest of his career, his 32 TDs tied a career high and his average of 309.5 yards per game is his best by over 20 yards. The Steelers finished 11-5 and won the AFC North title.
Roethlisberger is heading into the final year of his current contract and is due $11.6 million in 2015. That number will likely be in the high teens or even 20s after the new deal is done.
Cardinals look to extend Bruce Arians and Steve Keim
The Arizona Cardinals aren’t letting the coach that’s led them to the playoffs and two straight double-digit win seasons even think about leaving. General manager Steve Keim will also get a boost to his bank account with a new deal.
Arians just finished the second year of a four-year contract with a fifth-year option. Keim is also halfway through his four-year contract. Under Arians the Cardinals have gone 21-11 and built a winning organization that other teams raid for coaches. It’s rarefied air for Arizona, who only had a brief winning era under current Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt and quarterback Kurt Warner.
