If Alex Smith signs with the Dolphins, Peyton signs with Tennesee, the 9ers are left with.... Kaepernick? Flynn just signed in Seattle.

Wouldn't that be something else? Great roster but no QB means little chance for a repeat of their breakout season.

What are you talking about? It would be just like last year.

I wouldn't be so sure. One: you won't be surprising anyone this year. Two: the best way to ensure success year in and year out is to have a great QB.

and you try to defend yourself for us ragging on your smith love...then you say this....sigh ( but i must be one of those Lions fans that sucks)

funny you dont hear talk of Atlanta wanting Manning...and their QB aint no good either right?

Nicely played....

Manning chooses Denver.

ummmm, M2K!

where's the back patting emoticon?

And I contend that Manning picked the WORST possible team to go to (other than Miami). They have nothing really wonderful for receiving corps. They play in cold weather, which certainly won't be any good for his medical condition. He will have a good offensive line, particularly at left tackle. Running backs are retreads. And while their defense is OK, their secondary is a mess.

Sorry, I just don't think Denver is that good of a team to pick, particularly if he wants to win a Super Bowl immediately. They just don't have all the right pieces. I think he picked the team that agreed to let him run the show on offense, and pay him an extremely exhorbitant amount of money. Elway wanted a better QB, and he got what. But for how long, and at what ridiculous cost?

@49ers:

It was worst team at the moment, but let's not forget they have $40million in cap space minus Manning's cap hit for this year. They have plenty of option open to put players around him now. Demetrius Thomas isn't bad, and they could give up their first and sign Wallace off of Pittsburg as a Restricted, who will probably be better than what they'd get from a 1st round WR pick.

As to the 9ers... L O L. Alex Smith can now demand top dollar or sign in Miami, leaving the niners with nothing. Condon not only got Manning the deal he wanted, but just maximized Smith's contract at the same time. Weeden's going in the 1st round.

Denver went further in the playoffs than the Lions did with one of the worst starting QBs in the league.

I think they way overacheived, and frankly were quite lucky, but they aren't a garbage team.

Manning is 36 years old, he already has a ring, he's one the best QBs in NFL history. If he was going to play again, he's going to be the head honcho on offense. I think John Elway understood this.

I understand what Denver did. But I also understand that they got there mostly on emotion, strangely enough from Tebow. Their roster is not real impressive, particularly on defense. I understand that a teams success can largely be tied to the quarterback play, but let's be quite frank here. Manning has been out of football for over a year. He may never be back to the player he was. He'll be playing in a cold weather environment late in the season, which isn't a great thing for his condition.

Demaryius Thomas is a good receiver, but certainly is not a Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne quality guy. Eric Decker was a pleasant surprise for them, but it remains to be seen if he can repeat that performance. They lost Eddie Royal, lost their best blocking TE, and if they trade Tebow, who the Hell is the backup to Manning if he gets hurt again?

Sorry, but this is a high risk, high cost proposition that may pay dividends for them. I understand the move, I truly do. And on the surface, one might say 'look how far they got with Tebow, imagine what they'll do with Manning'. But that entire offense has to learn the offense Manning wants to run, and that won't be a walk in the park.

When one looks at the involved teams; Miami, Tennessee, San Francisco, Denver and Seattle; can you honestly tell me that Denver was the best option for him to win a Super Bowl in the next couple seasons? I think it came down to the fact that Denver does have that much cap space, which means he gets as much money as he wants. And I also think it comes down to Elway allowing Manning full control over the offense and basically skewering the Denver OC right in the nuts.

In the end, those who said Manning was going to Denver were right. Congrats. But I'll go on record as saying that he never sniffs the SB again with them.

If he was dead set on another ring, he would've went to SF. I think it's clear that there were other things on his mind.