While his injury continues to keep his football status in doubt, one thing that cannot be in doubt is his financal strength.
Peyton collected a $3 million bonus as a result of being on the active roster as of Saturday evening. In addition, by virtue of being on the roster for week 1, Manning is guaranteed to receive the full $26 million due to him.
What is not clear is where he will stand for next season. According to Chris Mortenson’s report, Manning has instructed his agent to protect the Colts against a large salary number for 2012 if he is not able to return.
The Colts can opt out of Manning’s contract after this year. They have that option because Manning instructed agent Tom Condon to protect the team if he doesn’t have the positive recovery doctors expect.
In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Colts vice chairman Bill Polian said that if Manning does return to play football, it would be with Indianapolis.
“Can’t predict anything, particularly true with injuries,” Polian continued to CBS, “in terms of Peyton Manning playing football, he’s going to play for the Colts, that’s for sure.”
Polian said he wasn’t sure when or if Manning would return.
“Honestly don’t know. We will leave the roster open,” Polian told CBS. “The doctors, and I underline that, will make that determination. … We were going through the process here, we recognized early on his physical condition, but it’s not career-threatening according to everyone we spoke to — at his age, things like thin might happen and that was taken into consideration.”
