Peyton Manning is reportedly looking into his options for the 2016 NFL season.
The legendary quarterback simply loves to play the game of football. He wants to play but understands it won’t likely be with the Denver Broncos, and Adam Schefter of ESPN said it will not be with the Houston Texans.
So which teams could use a 39-year old passer who is well past his prime but who can still play better than half the quarterbacks around the league? We will now explore the topic.
Los Angeles Rams
In Schefter’s report about Manning wanting to continue playing, he said Manning would “probably not” be playing for the Rams. But honestly, can anyone in their right mind think that Nick Foles is somehow a better quarterback, in the short or long term, than Manning? I think not.
Foles is just a tragedy waiting to happen every game. And quite remarkably he has a weaker arm than Manning, as well. Case Keenum isn’t the answer, and if Sean Mannion is, it won’t happen for another year or two, anyway.
The Rams feature a dominant defense and one of the most electric young running backs in the league. With a field general like Manning, who can beat defenses with his brain as well as his arm, the Rams could potentially compete with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West.
Buffalo Bills
Tyrod Taylor had his moments last year in Buffalo. Nobody can deny that. However, he is not signed with the Bills at this time and could hit the market next week if a long-term deal is not worked out before March 9.
Buffalo’s defense will almost certainly be better next year than it was in 2015. If players actually buy into the scheme and it becomes “fully pregnant,” as Rex Ryan supposes it will be, then it could be a dominant unit.
With LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams, Buffalo has what it needs to pound the rock. With Charles Clay, Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, the Bills have weapons in the passing game that know what to do after the catch.
This could be an ideal landing spot for Manning, who proved he can still play in cold weather the past few seasons in Denver.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are so desperate at quarterback right now that they’re reportedly upping their offer for Sam Bradford, who isn’t exactly a jewel.
The NFC East is always wide open, and new head coach Doug Pederson could get his rookie campaign off to a solid start with Manning behind center. Then perhaps Philadelphia could also select one of the second-tier quarterbacks like Connor Cook or Cardale Jones in the draft to develop without any pressure for a year or two.
Pederson will likely develop a run-first offense regardless of who is behind center, utilizing DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews early and often to soften up defenses. He did the same thing in Kansas City, calling plays for the Chiefs as Andy Reid’s offensive coordinator.
Bradford is playing hard to get right now in contract negotiations, but it’s hard to argue he is worth chasing after. As injury-prone as he is, giving him much guaranteed money at all would be foolhardy.
The Eagles could do much worse than Manning.
San Francisco 49ers
If the 49ers do end up trading Colin Kaepernick, who wants out of San Francisco, then Chip Kelly’s offense will hinge on Blaine Gabbert and whoever the team lands in the draft. Gabbert performed admirably last year when called into duty, but it’s hard to argue he did a whole lot to remove the bust label completely.
Kelly’s passing offense isn’t as effective with a non-mobile quarterback, a group in which Manning clearly belongs, but it is predicated on timing and accuracy.
While Manning doesn’t have the arm strength he once did, he can still get the short- and mid-range game going pretty good when he gets into a rhythm. He also likes running a quick-paced offense, which fits Kelly’s modus operandi to perfection.
This isn’t a perfect fit, but it’s not crazy to consider the 49ers might be slightly interested in bringing Manning to Northern California for one season to see if he can keep things stable while Kelly builds his offense and likely starts developing a rookie.