Peyton Manning certainly doesn't sound like a player who's on the verge of retirement.
In an interview that ESPN aired this afternoon, Manning said he expects to be cleared to play again. As for whether he'll remain with the Indianapolis Colts, that appears a week or two away from being settled.
Among Peyton's comments to ESPN:
On his where he is with rehabilitating his neck injury:
"It's good. I really feel good. I continue to make progress everyday. Everything the doctors have told me has been on point, which is encouraging to me. I had a great day today of rehab. I just got back from the facility. That's what I'm going to continue to do. Just try to get better. That's the plan I have from here on out." (MORE>>>)
Somewhere toward the end of Jim Irsay's 40-minute print media filibuster Thursday, the Indianapolis Colts owner said something that sounded more like a wish than a fact.
"I think it's too early to bury this era," Irsay said. "This era has not disappeared yet. We still have players and coaches that have been around and had greatness. And Peyton (Manning), to say that his career is done and what we've done here is over, I think that's way too premature. . . . I don't feel like that era is done." (MORE>>>)