After visiting with both the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals late last week, Manning appeared honed in and was just about ready to make a decision, according to reports. But some new contenders have now entered the race and appear to be making a big push to secure the 35-year-old quarerback's services.
The Miami Dolphins, who have been widely considered the favorite to land Manning, finally entered into the mix on Monday and are scheduled to meet with him sometime this week, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Florio also indicated that Manning will meet with head coach Mike Munchak and the Tennessee Titans within the next few days, as well.
The meetings are expected to be more informal than Manning's trips to Arizona and Denver, though, as team officials from both the Dolphins and Titans will be doing the traveling to meet Peyton at his convenience.
Another team has entered into discussions about the four-time MVP, which may come as a bit of a surprise to some fans. The Houston Texans, who already have a franchise QB in Matt Schaub, entered into the race on Monday and have already reached out to Manning about a possible visit, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
The continued interest in Manning from teams around the league just goes to show how valuable and highly regarded the quarterback continues to be, even amid lingering injury concerns about his surgically repaired neck.
The favorite still appears to be the Broncos, but with these new developments the race for Manning has been seemingly busted wide open and could ultimately go to the most appealing situation.
