As Peyton Manning rose to the podium along with Indianapolis Colts' owner Jim Irsay to address the press last week, the reporters gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium could hardly believe their eyes.

Since being drafted in 1998, Indianapolis and Peyton have been a match made in heaven.

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nstead, the next three sentences came straight out of a scene from the Twilight Zone. The meeting was held to announce the unexpected. Manning's voice quivered as he addressed the audience and tears soon began to roll down his cheeks.

"I have been a Colt for almost all of my adult life," he said. "But I guess in life, and in sports, nothing lasts forever. Times change, circumstances change and that is the reality of playing in the NFL."

Irsay, in that fateful moment, altered the course of modern-day football. The Indianapolis Colts released their quarterback and long-time franchise icon, rather than pay him a franchise-crippling $28 million bonus. Money speaks volumes.

On Twitter, tennis player Andy Roddick tweeted the following: "The Colts cutting Peyton feels like the North Pole kicking out Santa."

Yes, it is that shocking of a development.

However, the practice of legends switching teams at the end of their careers is not unheard of. Bobby Orr, the historic Boston Bruins defenseman, played out the remainder of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks. "Broadway" Joe Namath, who led the New York Jets to a Super Bowl III Championship, ended his legacy with the Los Angeles Rams. Emmitt Smith, a Dallas Cowboys football icon and the all-time NFL rushing leader, earned his last yards on the gridiron, not in Cowboys blue, but in Arizona Cardinals red.

Manning was drafted with the No. 1 selection in 1998, a season after the Colts fielded a 3-13 record. The star soon reversed Indianapolis' fortunes, starting at quarterback and leading the team to a 13-3 record in his first season. From there, it was seemingly evident that it was Peyton's destiny to play out his days in Indiana. After placing the city on his shoulders en route to a Super Bowl championship in 2006, Peyton solidified his place among the Colts' elite. However, as all stars do, Manning ran into his roadblocks. Countless playoff losses. Disappointment.

It all culminated in the most imposing hurdle of them all. Manning missed the entire 2011 season after having three neck surgeries in 19 months. Without him, a bedrock of stability, the Colts floundered with a 2-14 record.

Manning has been a Colt for his entire career. The process of free agency, so familiar to many of today's NFL greats, represents uncharted waters for Manning.

"I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works," he commented. "I do not know if it is like college recruiting where you go take visits. I mean, this is all so new to me."

It was not supposed to be this way for the Indianapolis golden boy. Rather than subjecting himself to the dirty process of free agency, he was supposed to finish his career out with the hometown franchise that jump-started his career.

Now that Manning is on the market, there is no question that he represents one of the most coveted free-agents in the game's history. Forget the injury risk; he is Peyton Manning. That same Manning is a Super Bowl MVP, an 11-time Pro Bowler and has thrown for nearly 55,000 yards. According to ESPN, the four-time NFL MVP was contacted by at least 12 different teams, including the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Denver Broncos.

Last Friday, Manning flew to Denver to kick off his recruitment tour. The Broncos present an interesting possibility, but in a city consumed by Tebowmania, can Manning deal with the competition for the limelight?

He also flew to Arizona to meet with Cardinal representatives, an intriguing fate that the Cardinals are well-versed in. Arizona made a similar move in 2005, taking a huge gamble on injury-riddled quaterback Kurt Warner. The risk paid off handsomely. Can the Cardinals management repeat the magic?

These questions persist and will continue to do so in the days to come. One thing is for certain though: he will be an immense addition to whichever team chooses to sign him.