Manning HAS to take a big contract

It was requested that I rerun this article.

While players do have some leeway to make negotiations smooth and not contentious, the truth is that while it would help the team for Manning to take less money, it might not help his teammates.  The truth is that the players union watches the contracts of the biggest stars closely.  There is a lot of pressure on key players to score as big a contract as possible.  It’s not just hubris for the player; it’s for the good of all the players. The reason the players union opposes things like a hard cap for rookie salaries is the same reason I have no doubt that Jeff Saturday (the Colts union rep) will remind Peyton that he has an obligation to his brethren to get every dime he can:  big contracts raise the tide for all players.

Manning is in a difficult (though enviable!) position.  If he takes less money (say $15 million a year) from the Colts, fans cheer, but the other players won’t be happy with him.  Suddenly, any quarterback in the league who makes more than Manning is overpaid.  The Colts gain leverage over every other player on the roster (We can’t pay you that much!  We only play Manning $15 million!).  Certain players, and make no mistake Manning is one, HAVE to aim for being the highest paid guy in the league for the good of all the other players.  The Union wants salaries to climb.  They thrive on mega deals.