Indianapolis Colts secure Peyton Manning with franchise tag
The Indianapolis Colts have managed to put their franchise tag on quarterback Peyton Manning. The Philadelphia Eagles Michael Vick was the first quarterback to be slapped with the franchise player tag.
Both Manning and Vick were expected to be franchised by their respective teams as soon as the window opened. The Eagles and the Colts had very little choice except to tag the players due to the ongoing labour negotiations. The National Football League and
the Players Association have been trying to get a deal done since 2009, but have made very little progress. The collective bargaining agreement expires on the 3rd of March and until a new labour deal is in place, teams have their hands tied in terms
of contract negotiations.
The CBA stipulates that in the last capped year, no team may resign a player for more than 30 per cent of their previous salary. The Colts tried to sign Manning to a new contract in October 2010, but the quarterback put off those negotiations until after
the season, as he wanted his focus to be on football. Now the 2010-11 NFL season has ended and negotiations for contract extensions has begun.
The Colts want Manning to remain in Indianapolis for the next few years, maybe even retire with the franchise. However, negotiating a contract will not be easy, as the contract extension Manning received from the Colts in 2004 made him the highest paid NFL
player. The Colts owner Jim Irsay has said that he has no reservations about making Manning the highest paid player in the NFL again, but he is unable until a new CBA is in place.
Manning is a dream quarterback. The veteran of 13 NFL seasons has been selected to the Pro Bowl a whopping 11 times. He has been named the MVP four times in this decade, including consecutively in 2008 and 2009. The Colts have won 115 regular season games
in this decade, an NFL record. Manning has been named the AFC Player of the year 6 times and has led the Colts to the playoff 11 times. The Colts won 8 division championships, 2 conference championships and a Super Bowl with Manning leading the offence.
Any team would jump at the opportunity of signing Manning to their roster, even if it costs them a fortune. The Colts know what Manning is worth and that is why they can not afford to let him enter free agency.
That is exactly what they did in 2004 when Manning was given a seven year 99-million-dollar contract. The Colts would have given him a new contract before free agency began but they can not because of the 30 per cent rule. Manning has been slapped with the
exclusive franchise tag which serves one purpose and one purpose alone, making sure no other team can even try to woo Manning away from the Colts. Manning will be given a contract extension as soon as a new CBA deal is done, but until then, a 20 per cent increase
from his previous salary is going to have to do.
With that 20 per cent, Manning will receive 23-million-dollars guaranteed from the Colts. If he is not given a contract extension, a franchise tag in 2012 will cost the Colts 27-million-dollars. Manning contract will likely dwarf the New England Patriots
quarterback Tom Brady’s 18-million-dollar salary.
While the Colts will cough up the money in a heartbeat, there are those who suggest that maybe Manning should not ask for too much. He is worth every penny the Colts spend on him and definitely the most valuable player on the Colts’ roster, but Manning alone
can not lead his team to victory. He needs offensive line-man, running-backs, tight-ends and wide- receivers to make the offence go. The Colts need playmakers on the defence too. All NFL teams work under a salary cap and the more Manning takes away from the
pie, the less the Colts have to sign other players. The last contract Manning signed resulted in the Colts cutting 5 veterans to stay within the cap.
It will be interesting to see how much money the Colt’s offer Manning in the upcoming contract negotiations. With the franchise tag, Manning is set to stay with Colts, giving the fans a sigh of relief.
Tags: