It’s Super Bowl week, and we all know what that means, more Peyton Manning news.
So here it is: The Indianapolis Colts quarterback has been medically cleared to resume his NFL career, according to an ESPN report.
The network said sources told both Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter that Manning was cleared by two doctors to resume playing the game he loves. One of those doctors includes Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed his latest surgery.
The report cited sources that said the Colts neurosurgeon, Dr. Frank Feuer, recently told the four-time MVP, “If you were my own son, I’d tell (you) to go play.”
But being cleared to resume his NFL career doesn’t mean that Manning is ready to play.
The sources said Watkins examined Manning recently in Los Angeles and concluded the stability in his neck would have allowed the quarterback to play this Sunday if the nerves in his arm had regenerated to a satisfactory performance level.
A source told ESPN: “It’s not a safety issue; it’s a performance issue.”
Manning’s arm has allowed the 35-year-old quarterback to pick up four MVP’s and one Super Bowl.
Manning missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing three neck surgeries in a 19-month span.
He is due a $28 million bonus next month and the Colts currently own the first-pick overall in this year’s draft, which the Colts may use to select star Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Manning and owner Jim Irsay have both said they will meet following the Super Bowl to discuss his future with the team.
Manning’s future in Indy has dominated the news in Indianapolis this week, and the latest report just adds another wrinkle to the story that just won’t go away, even with the Super Bowl just three days away.
The ESPN report also said that Manning had throwing sessions with receivers Anthony Gonzalez and Blair White on Tuesday.
