Quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) Peyton Manning would not be healthy enough to play for the Indianapolis Colts this season. Therefore his teammates embraced the following rallying cry: "We're not just a one-man team,'' they would say defensively. "We've still got Pro Bowl players here. We can still win games.'' It's been over three months since his last surgery and Manning recently got news that he is progressing. Coach Jim Caldwell announced on December 14 that Manning has begun throwing the ball again. He has yet to participate in practice but throwing the ball is a step forward. “That’s what he does,” Caldwell said when asked about throwing the ball. “They have been working with him in that area. That’s part of it, but it’s nothing revolutionary.”
If he suffers no setback, Manning would very much be on pace to play at the beginning of the 2012 season. If he is in fact healthy, there is no doubt he should be playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck could also be in Indianapolis, but there is no doubt that Peyton Manning would be the quarterback.
How much more can Manning now do?
“Once he’s fused, he’s stable to play,” said Dr. Anders Cohen, chief of neurosurgery and spine surgery at the Brooklyn Hospital Center who did not treat Manning. Asked how long it would take Manning to regain the strength in his throwing arm, Cohen said: “I would suspect it probably happened while the bone was knitting.”
The injury has created speculation on everything from Manning’s possible return date to whether he has played his final snap for the Colts. Last week, owner Jim Irsay confirmed what most people already suspected — that Manning was unlikely to play in a game this season—and it’s still unclear if No. 18 will be playing in Indy in 2012.
