During a conversation with a friend of mine during dinner last night, the topic of Peyton Manning came up and where would be his destination if he doesn't return to the Indianapolis Colts. A few team names came up before he suggested the San Francisco 49ers.
The addition of Manning would actually help out the team tremendously. The 49ers could definitely benefit from an elite quarterback like Manning. And with Manning on the team, the 49ers can enter the season as instant Super Bowl contenders.
But of course, there is also the concern about his health and how much of an impact he can really have in a new system with a new coach at his age.
It came down to what the 49ers currently have. All signs point to Alex Smith rejoining the team and halting his development by signing Manning doesn't help the 49ers. Manning is too much of a risk to take and Smith is coming off his best year of his career.
I responded to my friend's argument, saying that I viewed Smith's 2011 season as his rookie year and that you can't just halt a rookie's development into Week 2. Smith had had numerous years of experience prior to 2011 and he clearly didn't have to hurdle through things like rookies do. But at the same time, everything for Smith was exactly what rookies went through.
Considering that 2011 was a clean slate for the entire team, Smith endured a new head coach, a new playbook and essentially, an opportunity to put away six years of misery in this fresh start. Just like a rookie, it was like he was entering the NFL for the first time.
The 49ers finally got a glimpse of what Smith could be as a quarterback. The "rookie" experiment with Smith shows promise for 2012. After a successful first year with Harbaugh, there could only be more promise in the following years.
So if Manning is available, would the 49ers want to halt the progress of their quarterback? Or do the 49ers feel that the risk is worth it with Manning?
Too much has already been set in stone for the 49ers and Smith after a great 2011 season. It's hard to see them not continue the foundation they started. But in these dog days of the NFL, don't rule out anything.
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