Peyton Manning....What if he never went to Denver..

I have been pondering something as of late...what would have happened if Peyton Manning hadn't left Indy or had chosen another team instead. The fate of many players would have come into play.

If Peyton had stayed in Indy....

The Colts wouldn't have chosen Andrew Luck as the #1 pick in the draft meaning he would have dropped to #3 I believe to the Browns who would have traded up for him. Thats only if the Vikings were sure Ponder was their man. So in this scenerio alone...Peyton in Indy. Luck to Minnesota or Cleveland. Christian Ponder and Colt McCoy could have been jobless.

The Colts would be about where they are now in contention for a playoff spot but not dominating. The Texans are the much better team still in that division and Indy's defense could use help. But I think Garcon would have stayed meaning one less weapon for RG3.And who knows the impact that could have made on him since they are 5-1 with Garcon playing.

If Peyton had signed with the 49ers....

I don't think the 49ers would have resigned Alex Smith and he would have been a free agent. A free agent of which I believe could have ended up with Denver, NYJ or Arizona or maybe the far stretch of Seattle.

The 49ers would be dominating the division and possibly the NFC with home field advantage a pretty much guarantee for the playoffs. With their defense and a good group of WR's (including Randy Moss and that would be quite a combo) they would most likely be a Super Bowl representitive.

If Peyton had signed with the NY Jets....

The Jets obviously would not have made the move for Tim Tebow. I think Sanchez would have been released or traded. Once again a team like Denver, or more likely spot a desperate Arizona team would have taken Sanchez.Which Arizona might have been a little bit more competitive maybe finishing 8-8 if they had gotten him.

I think the Jets running game would be better with the threat of Peyton and even the so-so WR's they have would make big plays knowing Peyton can turn anyone into a threat. The defense would be a lot better since they wouldn't have to be on the field for most of a quarter (we all know how much they are out there with Sanchez's turnovers this year). The Jets wouldn't catch the Patriots..but would be in the playoffs where they could have been dangerous.

If Peyton had signed with the Arizona Cardinals...

First off,  Larry Fitzgerald would be celebrating as he might be a legitimate threat again. Gotta feel bad for the guy. The Cardinals at that point would have also let Kevin Kolb hit the market and there wouldn't have been very much interest. A team might have grabbed him for a backup role.

The Cardinals with their tough defense, good group of WR's and a decent running back would have made noise in the NFC West and NFC. They have a great team but the one position player they are missing from making a playoff run and you plug one of the best in there and you have a Super Bowl contender.

If Peyton had signed with the Seattle Seahawks...

Russell Wilson wouldn't be a Seahawk meaning another team could have landed his talent and maybe have never played him on the field to realize his full potential! And the bad signing of Matt Flynn might not have come either. So this would mean Matt Flynn most likely to the Cardinals. Russell Wilson elsewhere. Tavares Jackson as the backup.

Seattle has a good D and a dominating home field advantage so that helps. They would have been a 9-7 team and made the playoffs. Possibly made some noise if they got a home game.

Finally...we have to look at this angle...if Peyton hadn't signed with the Broncos...

Tebow Time might still be happening. I don't think the Broncos would be where they are. Maybe a .500 team at best. The Chargers might have been more in contention and be leading the West. And who knows who the Broncos would have signed if Peyton wasn't available..most likely a QB Peyton booted out on another team. Another play in this is the Broncos might had taken a swing on a pretty talented 3rd round qb named Russell Wilson in the 2nd round instead of drafting Brock Osweiler.

  would have stayed

This is only some of the scenarios that could have played out. There are many more I am sure. But these were the ones I thought of. Its sometimes hard to realize he isn't in Indy anymore until you see him in a Broncos uni. I thought for sure Colt for life.

When it comes to the hobby collecting part of this..I don't think it mattered where this Hall of Famer landed. His cards will always stay up in value. Even being out last year..they never dropped. He is very popular among collectors and non collectors as we can see by his fame being plastered all over TV.

As of right now he gets my vote for Comeback Player Of The Year (Adrian Peterson a very close 2nd), and as for an MVP vote..I am not quite sold yet. Lets see how far he takes the Broncos in the playoffs first. I think other players such as Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson and maybe even RG3 deserve a better shot.

What are your thoughts on this? What do you think would have happened if he landed elsewhere?