INDIANAPOLIS – Colts Vice Chairman Bill Polian spoke following the club's 27-13 victory over Tennessee about the work this week done by veteran quarterback Peyton Manning.
Here are Polian's remarks:
"I'm here for a specific reason, which I will get to in a minute, but I just want to say how happy I am for Coach (Jim) Caldwell, our coaching staff and for our players for how diligently and how spectacularly they've worked and prepared through all this difficulty. To Mike Murphy and the defensive staff, what a great job. In three weeks they got this team flying again, and we couldn't be prouder of them.
"I'm here to set the record straight about rampant speculation that has gone on all morning and afternoon regarding Peyton Manning's activities this past week, and his future with respect to playing and practicing this season.
"Wednesday, after we finished our full team practice, Peyton went through a prescribed rehabilitation session, which consisted of about 30 throws and seven or eight handoffs. (Players) involved in that session were Joseph Addai, Jeff Saturday, snapping the ball, Anthony Gonzalez and a practice squad receiver. Peyton wore pads and a helmet, which he is allowed to do by rule and by CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). There was a tape of that workout, which I attended and which Coach (Jim) Caldwell attended. His throws were scripted at his request, meaning that he made specific throws with respect to the kinds of plays that we would run in a ballgame. The reason for that is because the strength and conditioning folks and the therapy folks felt that was the best way to ramp up the kinesiology of the muscle use. I want to emphasize here that we broke no rule. We had no obligation to report that workout, (because) it was a post-practice rehabilitation workout, which is perfectly and completely legal. We have the tape of it, as I mentioned, and if anyway at the League Office has any questions regarding it, and no one has asked, we would be happy to supply the tape.
"On Thursday we met with the doctors, the rehabilitation folks, the strength and conditioning folks and our training staff, and in that meeting we outlined where Peyton was and where he might be expected to go in the future. With respect to that meeting it was determined by the doctors that there was no chance that he would play this year. His rehabilitation has not come far enough to make it prudent for him to step on the field in game action. He may practice in some very scripted and circumscribed circumstances if he wishes. That is entirely up to him. He will be thinking that through, and probably, I would suspect given the short week, that it probably is not an issue this coming week. But he will not play, either in the upcoming game on Thursday or night or in the last game in Jacksonville. That decision was made last Thursday by the medical people.
"That is consistent with what Jim Irsay and I have said all year, so there is absolutely no change in our position. We have said that we kept him active in order for him to get back into practice, if that was possible. That was the reason for keeping him active. Jim (Caldwell) said as recently, I believe, as a couple of weeks ago that he doubted very seriously if Peyton would play, and that was an appropriate judgment on his part. I hope that this puts this speculation to rest, and that we can correctly celebrate the great effort that our guys made and our coaches made this afternoon."
