The Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005 with the intent that he would one day replace Brett Favre. Following the 2007 season where Favre led the Packers to the NFC Championship game, he retired. The Packers seemingly moved on and were poised to go with Rodgers. Just before training camp in 2008, Favre decided he wanted to come back. Management thought otherwise and after a discussion and falling out, he was traded to the New York Jets. Favre ended his career with the Minnesota Vikings before officially retiring for good.
The Colts situation is similar. Although Manning's heir apparent has not been drafted yet (all signs point to Andrew Luck being their #1 pick), it looks like the Colts may decide to part ways with Manning. Of course Manning is coming off of neck surgery that sidelined him for all of the 2011 season. There is no falling out yet with management but Manning has made it know he wants to stay a Colt. Another issue is the roster bonus he due on March 8 of $28 million and whether the Colts want to pay it.
If the Colts do let Manning go, he may play for another team or may be forced to retire. Whether the Colts can succeed without him remains to be seen. While Manning is recovering from an injury and Favre was not, there could definitely be an ugly situation like with Favre where management has other plans and moves on. The similarities are striking.
