Irsay reiterated Monday that he will make Manning the league’s highest-paid player, even if it means putting the franchise tag on the quarterback, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
“The bottom line is we’ll get something done and when it happens just depends,” Irsay told the Tribune during the Colts’ first training camp practice. “I said he’d be the highest-paid player and he may already be if we go with the tag. I’d love to see him be here and break all those records as a Colt.”
With the lack of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and a possible 2011 lockout looming, there’s no guarantee that the franchise tag will even carry over into an eventual CBA that keeps the NFL going.
That said, Irsay intends to do everything in his power to keep Manning in a Colts’ uniform, while keeping the team as competitive as it’s been during the quarterback’s tenure.
“It [Manning’s deal] is something that could get done sooner or later, but it’s about making sure we can succeed and putting Peyton with the best players we can,” Irsay told the Tribune. “We’ve spent tens of millions of dollars, $50 million probably, over the cap. The bottom line is the money gets paid, but it’s important to be able to keep this team together.”
