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Peyton Manning returns to work next week looking to reassert his credentials as the gold medal standard for National Football League (NFL) quarterbacks after pacing the sidelines last season recovering from a fourth neck surgery.
But the NFL landscape can change quickly and Manning may not even be the best quarterback in his family anymore with younger brother Eli making a case for that status after leading the New York Giants to a second Super Bowl title in four years.
While Eli’s stock has skyrocketed heading into the 2012 NFL season starting on Wednesday, Peyton has been downgraded from blue chip to speculative commodity after sitting out last season recovering from neck fusion surgery.
Certainly, the Indianapolis Colts considered Peyton a risky investment when they released the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in March after 14 years of distinguished service and a Super Bowl title rather than pay his $28mn bonus.
Others, however, were willing to roll the dice.
The Denver Broncos were among a handful of teams courting Manning before ultimately winning him over with a five-year $96mn contract, taking a gamble that the 36-year-old, 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback can lead them to a Super Bowl.
“I don’t consider it much of a risk,” Broncos vice-president of football operations John Elway told reporters after signing Manning. “Obviously, the expectation level’s going to go up but that’s where we want it be, too.”
Talk about who was the NFL’s top quarterback used to begin with Manning but now he is barely part of the discussion with MVP Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers), Tom Brady (New England Patriots), Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) and Eli Manning hogging the conversation.
The season could begin with a quarterback controversy with fourth-year New York Jets starter Mark Sanchez, already under fire for the team’s preseason woes, and popular backup Tim Tebow firmly in the media crosshairs.
Cast out of the Mile High City after Denver landed Manning, the charismatic Tebow, who last year became a worldwide sporting phenomenon for his late-game heroics and displays of faith, has arrived on Broadway, putting pressure on Sanchez to perform or risk losing his starting job.
With as many as nine rookie or sophomore quarterbacks ready to start for their respective teams the new campaign will open to plenty of second-guessing and intrigue.
Adding to the intrigue will be the use of replacement referees for at least the first week of the regular season given a contractual dispute between the NFL and its officials. Their work over the preseason has already drawn complaints.