NFL Negotiations Already Affecting Indianaplis Colts as They Place the Franchise Tag on Peyton Manning

In a move that was surprising only to those that haven't been paying attention, the Indianapolis Colts officially placed the franchise tag on Peyton Manning, ensuring that he will not become a free agent this off-season. We've all heard the rhetoric about how this is just standard procedure and how the Colts have used this tactic before and how it's just a prelude to a long-term deal. Still, there is no denying that the impending labor dispute has had an impact on the Manning-Colts negotiations, and there is a good chance that the effect will ultimately be negative for Manning's bottom line.

Over a year ago now, Colts owner Jim Irsay promised to make Manning the highest paid player in the history of the NFL. While the two sides discussed a deal last year, the team was able to fall back on the fact that the collective bargaining agreement would be expiring on March 3, 2012, and, until something was more clear on that front, it would be hard to finalize Manning's crowning contract. Don't worry, though, it will all be worked out soon.

"Soon" was not after the Colts lost Super Bowl XLIV, not last spring or summer, not during the 2010 season, and not after this past Super Bowl, either. In fact, "soon" never came and Manning and the Colts struggled through a rough (by their standards) regular season and took an early exit from the playoffs. Meanwhile, no one so much as blinked on the NFL labor front, so we end up here, with Manning franchised. No big deal, as a new Manning contract will surely get done, within the confines of whatever the new CBA is.

From this vantage point, and in a business sense, the Colts played this shrewdly. They vowed to take care of their star asset with untold riches. They pushed back completion of a deal by justifiably citing overall doubt. They got to sit back and evaluate the team and Manning for another year without having made a big commitment. And now, with the franchise tag, they have technically already made good on Irsay's promise.

See, as the franchise player, Manning gets the greater of the average salary of the top five quarterbacks OR 120% of his 2010 salary cap number. That latter amount wins and could bring Manning a tad more than $23 million in 2011 if no other deal is made and the season actually takes place. Voila! The highest paid player in history for a single season, not including signing bonuses. There is some wiggle room here depending on your definition, but the Colts can certainly make the claim that Manning is tops. Will he ever get any more than this? How long will the Colts be willing to commit after, say, nine months of work stoppage, when Manning will be rounding the bend on age 36?

Had there never been labor strife, it's pretty likely that Manning and the Colts would have agreed to an extension last year. Had the Colts not sputtered in 2010, the deal might already be in place anyway. As it stands, though, Manning is likely not going to get what he once thought he was. As with fans across the nation, a quick end to the NFL labor mess would probably be welcomed in the Manning household.