Peyton Manning Could Still Be NFL's Highest-Paid Player, Says Colts Owner Jim Irsay

Peyton Manning is the NFL's only four-time MVP, and it's his production for the Indianapolis Colts over the last decade that had few eyebrows raised when Colts owner Jim Irsay promised to make Manning the NFL's highest-paid player after the 2010 season in February 2010.

Now, despite the new NFL collective bargaining agreement making it harder for Irsay to do that and keep a Super Bowl-caliber team around Manning, he's still committed to the idea, but also telling a group of media members on a conference call on Monday that it might be tricky.

I’ve offered to make him the highest paid player. We know when we look at our team, we need people to surround him to have a chance to win a Super Bowl. With the cap actually going down this year, [Tom] Brady’s contract is something that would be reduced so-to-speak. There’s only so much you can pay one player. Whatever the number is, $20 million, you’re topping off there. Then it becomes very difficult to be competitive and to field a team.

Considering how long Irsay had been holding out the highest-paid player carrot to Manning and his agent, Tom Condon, this rhetoric might mean a stickier series of negotiations between Manning and the only team he's ever quarterbacked in the NFL.

Still, it's hard to imagine Manning leaving the Colts — despite his off-season surgery and a down 2010, the Colts know there's no one they could get to replace Manning — which means this posturing is likely going to affect the Colts' roster and salary cap flexibility more than it will Manning's bank account.

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