Pursuit of Peyton Manning says something about Kevin Kolb

The Cardinals could put an end to the Peyton Manning
rumors by coming out and saying they will be paying
Kevin Kolb his $7 million roster bonus and won’t be
parting with the QB less than a year after trading for
him.

But that hasn’t happened.

“I fully expect this team to be interested, at least kick
the tires on the situation,” Arizona Republic Cardinals
beat writer Kent Somers told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns
and Gambo of the Cardinals and Manning.

The fact that the Cardinals have not come out and said it
won’t happen could just be standard operating procedure,
as Somers noted the Cardinals don’t like talking about
moves that haven’t happened.

Still, with Manning being linked to Arizona and the Cards
possibly being a QB away from being a playoff team again,
it would make plenty of sense if they were interested in
the future Hall of Famer.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that they’re sitting
back, looking at the timing of the whole Manning situation
and are curious to see how it’s going to play out,” Somers
said.

Given that Manning will have his choice of teams once
released by the Colts, it stands to reason he may not
choose Arizona. If that’s the case, the team will likely
turn to Kolb in hopes he will be the player they thought
he would be.

Asked if the rumored pursuit of Manning has affected
Kolb’s demeanor, Somers said he hasn’t seen anything
indicating that is the case.

“He’s not sweating it,” Somers said of Kolb’s reaction to
the rumors. “It’s kind of the attitude Kevin had
throughout this whole year, in dealing with the trade and
the contract and the pressure being on him.”

Somers said some fans may see Kolb as a player who lacks
passion, that his attitude of “what will be, will be” is a
sign he doesn’t really care.

“I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Somers said. “I
really think, as much as any player can, I think he tries
to take that attitude that this is a business and teams
are going to do whatever they’re going to do.”

That means if his time in Arizona ends after one season,
Kolb will understand and, at 28-years-old, find somewhere
else to work.

Assuming Manning doesn’t come to Arizona, though, the
Cards will have to turn the reins over to someone who they
were possibly looking to replace. That could mean soothing
some hurt feelings.

“I think he would be hurt in the sense that maybe there’s
not the commitment to him that he thought there was, but I
think he’s tougher than that, I don’t think he will go
into a shell,” Somers said. “I think in that case, the
Cardinals — or any other team in that situation — could
go to their number one quarterback and say ‘look, we had a
chance to get a premier quarterback, maybe the best in the
league, a Hall of Famer, and we rolled the dice.'”

But no one is at that point, not yet. For now all we have
are rumors of the Cardinals being interested in a QB who
technically isn’t even available, one who if he does reach
the open market comes with as many question marks as any
player in recent history.

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