Peyton Manning in a Seahawks jersey?

[travisduncan]

ICON Sports Media

The latest person to link the the Seahawks with the future Hall of Fame quarterback is Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune and the National Football Post.

Pompei cites "buzz around the league", that the Seahawks are not only interested in No. 18, but front-runners to land Manning.

Manning is in the rehab stages from multiple neck surgeries. Both Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are waiting for "nerve regeneration" in order to make a decision whether he'll play again in Indianapolis or anywhere for that matter.

Reports on his recovery process have been mixed. One Indianapolis columnist reported Manning had a "noodle arm" in a recent training session. Former Colts GM Bill Polian says he thinks Manning will return to his previous level of play-of course Polian has a lot of reasons for hoping that will be the case, personal vindication being one after he was fired following the Colts dreadful, Manningless season.

On to Pompei's comments, "Based on the buzz around the league, the Seahawks could be the early frontrunner for Peyton Manning, assuming he is released. Pete Carroll needs a quarterback and is believed to have a strong interest in at least exploring Manning. The Seahawks could offer Manning an attractive scenario. They have a young team with some fine skill players to put around him. They play in one of the league’s loudest stadiums. Manning wouldn’t be subject to the same kind of scrutiny in Seattle that he would in a lot of other markets."

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com also predicts Manning will land in Seattle.

The general consensus among those have discussed Manning's future ad nauseum has been that if the Colts don't re-sign Manning, and he is healthy enough to play and wishes to continue his career, he would only do so with a franchise which could realistically contend in the playoffs.

Is Seattle that franchise? (Brock Huard thinks so) Would a less than 100-percent Manning be able to do what Tarvaris Jackson couldn't do last season? Is the Seahawks' offensive line healthy enough to protect a soon to be 36-year quarterback for 16 games?

It seems far-fetched. Manning is, after all, still an Indianapolis Colt. And Pete Carroll and John Schneider have consistently chosen younger over experience--- but that is the "buzz" that is out there.

Welcome to the NFL offseason.