This tweet from Colts owner Jim Irsay should make us all sweat a bit:
We r evaluating the QB sitch,#18 healing but we got 2 b prepared 4 early season possibility without him,defense has 2 pick it up,big time!
So, a 'minor procedure' back in May on the franchise's most important player, an operation so simple that Irsay assured everyone it would result in a 'fast recovery' (six to eight weeks) is now making the Colts ponder the possibility of playing Week One in Houston without Peyton Manning.
Again, back in May, Irsay said this procedure would not keep Manning out of training camp. Manning never took a snap at practice at camp in Anderson, IN.
Irsay said that Manning would be ready for preseason. It's now extremely doubtful Manning will play in any preseason games.
In late-July, Irsay said Peyton would be ready for the season opener. Now, Irsay is tweeting a strong suggestion that the Colts might need to prepare for Week One without Peyton. He also spoke about it last night during an interview in the booth with TV play-by-play man Don Fisher. In talking to Fisher last night, Irsay described the Peyton's recovery situation as 'fluid.'
By all means, feel free to panic.
Does anyone have Brett Favre's phone number lying around somewhere? NFL Network's Jason LaConfora offered this humorous little bit in response to Irsay's tweet:
@JimIrsay vet QB, hmm. Would you be mad at me if Jeff George was the first name that popped in my head?
Yeah. Things don't look good, folks.
Remember back in June when Bill Polian said he wasn't concerned about Peyton's neck? Maybe he should have been. Remember when I said, back in June, that when the Colts talk about injuries and recovery times, we fans should not believe a single word they say?
I really hate being right. Really, I do.