Peyton Manning Injury Update: Health Issues to Sideline QB in 2012?

The news on Colts franchise QB Peyton Manning is looking pretty bleak, at least according to Peter King of NBC Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Prior to yesterday’s NFL Pro Bowl game, King reported that Manning – who is coming off neck surgery that cost him the entire 2011 season – is still struggling to get healthy and may be forced to hang up his jersey for good.

Although the Colts have a little more than a month – Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus on March 8 – to figure out their next step, King stated that his gut feeling was that Peyton will likely be sidelined for 2012 and possibly indefinitely.

Manning’s former head coach, Tony Dungy, now working for NBC Sports, had this to say:

“I don’t know where he is medically, but I do not think he is going to play for another team. I think if he’s healthy enough, he plays for the Colts. If he’s not healthy enough, he’ll retire.”

All the signs right now seem to be pointing to Manning’s departure, but then again, according to what King reported, Colts owner Jim Irsay has not yet made the decision yet.

That decision will come at some point and it will be before March 8. Until it happens, we can only expect there to be rumors and discussion at a constant rate throughout the process.

What are your thoughts on Peyton Manning and his future in the NFL? Have we seen the last of Number 18, or just the last of him in a Colts uniform?