With Randy Moss hoping to return to the NFL, various signals went on high alert. There should be no doubt as to which Randy Moss is returning. There is only one kind – one of the greatest deep threats to ever play on a football field, and one of the most controversial figures in sports history.
One of the largest misconceptions about Randy Moss is that he is not a team player. Veterans that have played with Randy Moss and that have gotten to know the man, such as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and ESPN analyst (former Vikings wide receiver) Cris Carter vouch for his teamwork attributes. Its when the hammers starts coming down on Randy that his overbearing competitive personality takes a turn for the worse and the stubborn, take-my-ball-and-go-home Randy Moss emerges. Tragically, that is the Randy Moss the general public knows best.
Randy Moss’ desire to return couldn’t have come at a more exciting, if not, coincidental time seeing as how one of the greatest wide receivers of all time is available the same time when one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time might be - and by the general consensus is – on his way to being a free agent.
March 8 is the deadline for the Indianapolis Colts, and more specifically owner Jim Irsay, to decide if they want to pay Peyton Manning the $28 million option bonus on his current contract. If they don’t, Manning becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Peyton Manning has been cleared by his personal physicians and by NFL physicians for play, according to a February 2 report from ESPN, Irsay tweeted on February 3, ““Peyton has not passed our physical nor has he been cleared to play for The Indianapolis Colts,” so what would be good for most, if not every other, NFL team isn’t good enough for the team that Peyton Manning resurrected from the competitive graveyard. Manning has apparently begun contract negotiations in the public forum. ESPN also reported that Manning mentioned that he is willing to sign on another team with an incentives-laden contract for as little guaranteed money as reasonable, and we all know between his old contracts and his successful endorsement deals, Peyton isn’t hurting in the pocket, and according to doctors he is no longer hurting in the neck. His only pain stems from his desire to play football.
If an archetype quarterback could land on the same team with an archetype wide receiver, there is no telling how far Peyton Manning and Randy Moss could go together, especially with the offense-friendly/defense-hindering rules used in the NFL. Without a doubt, both men are leaders with killer instincts. Do not let Peyton’s “ah shucks” persona fool you. On the football field, he is as cut throat of a competitor as there is, just like Moss. Randy is a wonderful humanitarian. He is one of the highest contributors to teenage charities in sports, and he cares about his fellow teammate. However, when times get tough; when the ball doesn’t spin in the team’s favor, that’s when the combatants’ ideologies split in opposite directions. Peyton Manning perseveres until the last second ticks. Randy Moss has shown that he will be packing his suitcase on the sidelines, ready to load the bus.
When it comes time to signing contracts, Peyton has already expressed his needs, but with Randy Moss, what the team would need is probably a decent amount of guaranteed money and a nonnegotiable out-clause for when the balls cease to find his direction on a consistent basis. It would be amazing to see these two play together, but to any teams barely considering the idea, the overall price might be too heavy to burden.
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