The Indianapolis Colts will have to win their last two games the same way they tried to win their first 14 -- without Peyton Manning.
Minutes after the Colts scored their first win of the season, 27-13 over the Tennessee Titans, team vice chairman Bill Polian said the four-time league MVP will not play this season, though he has begun throwing to teammates at the team complex.
The comments came in a rare, five-paragraph postgame statement that Polian made from the podium. He didn't take questions.
"It was determined by the doctors that there was no chance he (Manning) would play this year," Polian said, referring to a Thursday meeting. "His rehabilitation has not come far enough to make it prudent for him to step on the field in game action. He may practice in some very scripted and circumscribed circumstances if he wishes. That's entirely up to him."
Apparently, Manning already is doing that.
Polian confirmed that Manning threw passes while wearing pads and a helmet after Wednesday's full team practice ended. The session included running back Joseph Addai, center Jeff Saturday, receiver Anthony Gonzalez and a receiver from the practice squad.
Manning had been throwing as part of his rehabilitation process, but rumors persisted all week that he had started throwing with teammates, leaving some in the organization to say there was nothing new in Manning's workout regimen. On Sunday's pregame show, FOX Sports insider and NFL Network contributor Jay Glazer reported Manning had thrown to receivers and running backs this week and that the quarterback still hoped to play this season.
"Wednesday, after we finished our full team practice, Peyton went through a prescribed rehabilitation session, which consisted of about 30 throws and seven or eight handoffs," Polian said. "His throws were scripted at his request, meaning that he made specific throws with respect to the kinds of plays he would run in a ballgame. The reason for that is because the strength and conditioning folks and the therapy folks felt that was the best way to ramp up the muscle use."
Polian denied breaking any league rules by not disclosing Manning's workouts on the weekly practice reports, which require teams to provide information about each player's participation.
Because the workouts occurred after practice, Polian said the Colts didn't violate the league rules and that the team taped that workout, which he and coach Jim Caldwell attended.
Team officials have kept Manning on the active roster in hopes that he could practice in December. Polian said he doesn't expect Manning to throw again before Thursday's home finale against the Houston Texans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
