Luke Links: 'Supa Sunday: Go Giants!' Edition

That he was throwing passes and running routes with Anthony Gonzalez at the Colts complex. He reiterated that his rehab gets better every day, and that he has no intention to retire.

He certainly looks and sounds like someone who has every intention of playing with the Colts in 2012. And, as Irsay has said, if he’s healthy, he will be a Colt.

Regarding his neck, the concern isn’t that the fusion will get re-injured from a blind-side hit or something like that (LBs, DBs, and Safeties have had this surgery and returned, and they make their living by way of collisions) – the concern is about the nerve regeneration. The point I’m making is that if the nerve regenerates fully, the neck fusion won’t hamper is performance. There’s talk that he’s going to be so delicate if he returns that how can we expect him to stay upright for an entire season, let alone the rest of his contract. What I’ve heard from reporters who’ve spoken with doctors on Radio Row is that this successful fusion surgery means Manning is no more prone to injuring his neck than any other player. The concern is the nerve regeneration, and once it regenerates completely, Manning will be good to go.

Of course, no timetable is available for the regeneration. The speculation that he has reached a “plateau” in his rehab is based purely and entirely on the simple fact that he’s still not 100%. It’s a terribly irresponsible way to refer to his rehab. That we know he’s throwing routes to Gonzo and Blair White already is great news, and – I think – proof that he’s getting stronger each day.

Maybe his days with the Horseshoe aren’t as numbered as everyone thinks.