NFL Rumors: Los Angeles Rams to Pursue Peyton Manning?
The Los Angeles Rams are looking to make a big splash in the offseason and could make a strong push to acquire Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Rams officials had "internal discussions" about the possibility of signing Manning in the offseason if the quarterback becomes available and decides to delay his impending retirement.
The Rams franchise, who will be relocating to Los Angeles starting next season, currently have Case Keenum as their starting quarterback, while Nick Foles and Sean Mannion are listed as backups.
If their plan pushes through, Manning is expected to take the starting spot from Keenum. However, NFL analyst Nick Wagoner of ESPN believes the Manning-to-Rams idea will not be a good move for Los Angeles.
Wagoner said that Manning will bring star power in Los Angeles, which means more ticket and jersey sales for the franchise. The 39-year-old quarterback could also become a mentor to their young quarterbacks. But Wagoner reiterated that the move could hurt them in the long run because Manning is not a long-term solution for the Rams.
"Rams have a young offensive line that still has plenty of developmental work to do and a receiver corps with no top options like Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders," Wagoner said. "Manning also isn't mobile, something Fisher said he wanted when he switched from Foles to Keenum."
Manning will be playing in the four Super Bowl of his career but the Broncos superstar had troubles dealing with injuries this season. The 14-time Pro Bowl quarterback played 10 regular-season games, where he completed 59.8 percent of his passes, which is his lowest since his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.
It is also worth noting that Manning still has one year left in his contract with the Broncos but recent reports suggested that the New Orleans native could call it quits after Super Bowl 50. According to a previous report, Manning has informed people close to him that he will retire after the 2015 NFL season.
However, Manning also addressed retirement rumors in Super Bowl 50 press conference. The veteran quarterback, who is looking to win his second Lombardi Trophy, said that he is not yet thinking about his future, as he is focused on their upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
"I don't know the answer to that," Manning said, referring to his plan to retire. "I think one thing I've done well all season and the team has done well all season is stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand."
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