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The St. Louis Rams have moved to the bright lights of California. Now that they’re the Los Angeles Rams, they have plans of bringing a new superstar with them. Per reports, that superstar could be current Denver Broncos quarterback, Peyton Manning.
Manning is set to appear in his fourth ever Super Bowl this coming Sunday, but questions have arisen about his future. The 39-year old future Hall of Famer has suggested numerous times over the past calendar year that his 2015 ride could be his last, and thanks to injuries and visible regression on the field, it’s hard not to believe him. Add the very real possibility of Manning riding off into the sunset as a champion, and it’s almost certain Super Bowl 50 is his last hurrah.
Unless, of course, it’s not. The Rams need a quarterback and with a stud running back in Todd Gurley, an elite defense and a seasoned veteran coach in Jeff Fisher, there could be enough there to tempt Manning into giving it another go with a new team. There are two key factors that could drive Manning t continue playing: pride and logic. The latter suggests Broncos GM John Elway sees the end of the line for Manning and will want to move on – win or lose this Sunday. The former, of course, could lean on Manning’s pride. If he loses this week, he may want vengeance and to get it, he may need to seek it in a new city.
There is another x-factor, and that’s the bright lights of California, as well as the mere challenge of helping a Rams team simply missing guidance under center to get over the hump. The Rams have reportedly already had “internal discussions” about finding a way to lure Manning to L.A. and if Manning is actually interested in playing, this rumor could have wheels. Where there is a need in the NFL, there often is a way.
Except, logic prevails in pro football more often than not, and the skinny is this: Manning is tired, banged up and has nothing left to prove. With no guarantees in California, he’ll likely end his career sometime after the Super Bowl and go out with his final game being on the biggest of stages. The Rams can hope for a quarterback upgrade and they’ll probably come knocking on Manning’s door more than once. They just probably aren’t going to get an answer.
Should the Rams become successful in their unlikely bid to land Manning, it still may not change their fortunes all that much. From what we’ve seen of Manning this year, he’s nothing more than a game manager at this stage in his career and in L.A. he’d have a major downgrade across the board in terms of passing weapons. All of that points to Manning denying the Rams and moving on with a career beyond the football field, but Manning or no Manning, the Rams aren’t exactly the safest bets for Super Bowl 51.
