Archie Manning, father of Colts' QB Peyton Manning, shed some light on the mindset of his son as Indianapolis hurtles towards the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and the prospect of selecting Stanford QB Andrew Luck. According to ESPN, via ProFootballTalk, Manning told FOX Sports Radio on Tuesday:
"I don't think it'd necessarily be great for either one. I think Andrew's the type of mature player ... he can walk right in. I mean, these other three or four guys that are playing this year, [if] they can walk in and contribute, Andrew can, too.
I used to play with his dad [Oliver]. ... I'm in New York, I heard from him last night. Peyton's also tried to help Andrew and kind of be a friend. I doubt if either one wants to play on the same team."
It looks likely now that unless Peyton can return this season and lead his team to some wins, the Colts will be picking first and ironically have dibs on the quarterback that many have dubbed 'The Next Peyton Manning.' The Colts organization hasn't talked to the Manning family about their plans in the Draft, according to that same interview, but it's interesting to get the family's perspective on the matter, something that's been speculated on ad nauseam the last few months.
Peyton's health is the number one factor at play here, and if it's determined that he will not be able to continue his one day Hall-of-Fame career, taking Luck becomes a no-brainer. If he recovers though, it's still a very viable option, and things will start to get very interesting.