Colts likely to start season without Manning

With the start of the NFL's regular season less than a week away, the Indianapolis Colts appear to be on the brink of doing something they haven't done in over a decade and that's start a season without their Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning. Entering his 13th year in the league, Manning has never missed a game during his professional career and boasts a streak of 227 consecutive starts (including playoffs) only behind Brett Favre who's streak of 321 consecutive games started came to an end last December due to an ankle injury. Manning's streak is in danger thanks in large part to a surgically repaired nerve (neck) during the offseason on May 23.

According to doctors, the timetable of Peyton's recovery was expected to be 6-8 weeks which would've allowed him to be at full strength come the start of training camp. However, back pains as recent as last week have limited Manning during practice, proving that he's behind schedule in the healing process. Though trainers and doctors haven't completely ruled Peyton out for week one's meeting with the Houston Texans on Sunday, neither them nor the Colts' front office are taking any chances considering how valuable Manning is. Not to mention the new 5-year, $90 Million deal the two sides agreed to a little more than a month ago. With Manning watching from the sidelines for the first few weeks being the worse case scenario for Indianapolis, Colts owner Jim Irsay isn't shying away from letting it be known where he thinks his 4-time MVP will be come week one.

Upon being told about the possibility of opening the season without Manning, the Colts didn't hesitate to provide insurance at the quarterback position by contacting the recently retired Kerry Collins. Three years removed from leading the Tennessee Titans to a 13-3 record and a top seed in the playoffs, Collins would have little success towards the end of his tenure with the team he served five seasons with (2006-2010) while sharing the starting role with former Rookie of the Year Vince Young. Following a dismal 6-10 season in 2010, Collins announced his retirement from the game of football after sixteen years on July 7. A month and a half later, he finds himself in a favorable position to not only get a few starts in, but also win a Super Bowl ring. With Manning's health uncertain, Collins who I seen as being a one week rent-a-player may be a more important piece to the Colts season than first thought.

Regarded by many as the best player in the game today, Manning's health is a scare to not only the Colts organization and their fans, but also to those who have him in their fantasy leagues including myself. Regardless of the time he misses, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if he still finishes the year with a Pro Bowl campaign. After all, he's Peyton Manning. With the speculation of Colts nation treating a few games without their beloved QB like it's the end of the world, there's no telling how things will be once the Manning era ends in Indy considering no one player or name is as synonymous to a franchise as Manning and the Colts.