Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said Monday that star quarterback Peyton Manning most likely will not return this season. Irsay made the announcement at a breakfast for the team’s Super Bowl donors on Monday morning.
Peyton Manning had surgery on on May 23 for an injury to his neck, but the procedure did not acheive the desired result. He underwent neck surgery again on Sept. 8 for the third time in 19 months. He has missed all three games so far this season. This type of surgery can require a recovery period of four months or longer, according to ESPN.
Although Indiana Colts owner Jim Irsay said Peyton Manning may not return this season, he clarified later on Monday that there is an “outside chance of return” in December. However, it is most likely that Manning will not return until the 2012 season. Peyton Manning still remains on the team’s active roster for now.
The Colts signed on recently retired quarterback Kerry Collins to fill in for Manning, but so far he has not been shining on the field and was injured on Sunday when the Colts lost to Pittsburgh. If Collins is too injured to return for the next game, third-string quarterback Curtis Painter will likely be the next to step in.