For a number of NFL front offices, Peyton Manning's exit-stage-left from the Colts on Wednesday meant a drastic shift in business.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled offseason to bring you this special development out of Indianapolis, was about the speed of it.
"We were sitting there watching and (the owner) called as soon as they wrapped up and Peyton was walking off the stage with (Colts owner Jim) Irsay," one junior NFL team executive team told Yahoo! Sports. "(Our general manager) kept assuring him, 'We're going to get a meeting with Manning and we're going to do all our homework.'
"But I'll tell you, if we left it up to the owner, he might sign the guy, sight unseen."
It's a look into the frantic nature of an unusual scenario, one in which an NFL legend is dropped into a quarterback-starved marketplace. The question marks surrounding Manning's health give pause, but who wants to be the team that passed on him, forced to explain to your fan base why Manning's killing it on some 2012 revenge tour while you're floating with Matt Moore under center?
"Just think about the trap you're in. If you sign the guy and he's bad, it's probably going to cost you your job," one AFC GM said. "Or, if you don't sign him and he's great, it's probably going to cost you your job. This situation is a potential nightmare."
NFL Network's Albert Breer reported that Manning has regained strength in his grip and triceps, but teams are going to want to see him wing the ball before dishing out millions. That grainy, 27-second video of Manning throwing the ball at Duke University? We need more.
"(The video) was nice to see," one NFC executive told Yahoo! Sports, "but you have to be kidding me if you think I'm taking that as my evidence that he's healthy and ready to go or even is going to get healthy. Please."
