Peyton Manning as a Titan? Only if Bud Adams says so
Some in the national media continue to mention the Titans in connection with Peyton Manning.
Why?
Two reasons:
1. Manning’s college career at UT.
2. Bud Adams.
The former is of little consequence.
The latter is the wild card.
At age 89 and with his pride and joy making just two playoff appearances in the last eight years — both one-and-done, to boot — might Bud decide to take one final swing for the fences? And if so, what better way to make a splash than pursuing You Know Who?
Right here let me say that I think this would be a mistake. Too, I don’t believe it has a snowball’s chance of happening. Manning can pick his landing spot, and LP Field does not appear to be on his flight plan.
For better or worse (and I think it’s better), the Titans took the plunge when they drafted Jake Locker at No. 8 overall last year. They’ve chosen to bring him along slowly, but there is no question he is considered the team’s quarterback of the future — perhaps the near future.
Besides that, nobody knows if Manning will be able to play up to his standards. A 36-year-old quarterback with a recent history of neck surgeries is a roll of the dice — an expensive roll of the dice.
Look, it’s going to take a fortune to sign Manning. And while the Titans have the requisite fortune under the salary cap, they have other significant needs. They’d be better served by texting the combination of Bud’s vault to Mario Williams, who would immediately become the franchise’s most dynamic defensive player since Albert Haynesworth was motivated by greed.
But with Bud, you never know.
From a pure business standpoint, you can make a case for taking a shot at Manning. Word is out that the Titans have several luxury suites available but are having trouble finding takers. If Manning came to town, there would be an immediately bull market. Nothing sells like a superstar quarterback, especially one with local and regional ties.
In his younger days, Bud involved himself in the day-to-day operation of his team, right down to fine-tooth-combing expense reports. When the mood struck, he strong-armed the draft and took the lead on other personnel matters.
More recently, though, he’s left those decisions up to his top administrators and coaches.
Except in one area: quarterback.
When he grunted, “VY is my guy,” Bud charted a different course for this franchise. The Titans made Vince Young the third pick in the 2006 draft and, at Bud’s insistence, tried to shoe-horn him into the role of a franchise quarterback until things reached a breaking point in 2010.
Since finally giving up on Young, Bud has been pretty quiet. Maybe he’s at peace, figuring that his legacy is set. He did, after all, work with friend Lamar Hunt to found the American Football League in August 1959. The team’s Houston-to-Nashville move on his watch was a coup.
But you never know. Bud’s best friends say he’s still full of surprises. Just when you think he is ready to fade into the background and act his age, he flips off convention.
This article was written by David Climer and appeared in the Tennessean. 
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