The Peyton Manning saga took another turn Wednesday morning when Indianapolis Colts' owner announced that the team has agreed to terms with 16-year veteran Kerry Collins on his Twitter Account. The signing of Collins refuels the speculation that Manning may not start the season opener against the Houston Texans on September 11 in Week 1 of the National Football League regular season.
"I'm excited to be here," Collins said in an interview with Jeffrey Gorman on www.colts.com Wednesday. "It's a great organization that I have a lot of respect for."
The Colts will host defending Super Bowl Champions Green Bay Packers Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Collins role in the third preseason game is unknown, but with quarterbacks Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky struggling in the first two games, Collins will most likely play against the Packers. The Colts offense has scored only 13 points in losses to St. Louis and Washington. With four signal callers currently on the roster, Painter and Orlovskky will battle for the last spot if the president Bill Polian and head coach Jim Caldwell decide to keep three quarterbacks.
With just two preseason games remaining, the clock is ticking for the Colts' offensive unit. Under Painter, Indianapolis has yet to produce a touchdown drive. Orlovsky has led the Colts the their only preseason touchdown. The third preseason game has always been considered the closest comparison to a regular season game, because most teams give the starting units two or three quarters of preparation. The Colts could use Collins for the first half, and let Painter and Orlovsky play in the second half, unless one of them are waived before Friday night.
While most of the AFC favorites appear to be in midseason form, the Colts have struggled on both sides of the football. The offense' inability to move the football gave St. Louis and Washington a short field on offense in first quarter play, which has put pressure on the first string defensive unit. At times, the defense has looked confused and frustrated, making Friday night's game a big test against Green Bay. Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 9-for-12 with 97 yards and a TD pass last week in a 28-20 win over the Phoenix Cardinals.
Collins is familiar with the Colts' offense during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans. The veteran will use the next two weeks took get in sync with the Colts' playbook and work extensively with Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne in preparation for the season opener if Manning remains on the inactive roster.
"I know my role," Collins said. "Regardless of my role, I will bust my tail to get ready."
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