Report: Manning cleared to play again

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen reported via Twitter on Thursday evening that he had been told Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had been cleared by doctors to resume his NFL career.

This report comes a day after Colts owner Jim Irsay said he was prepared to wait until the last possible moment to decide what the team would do when it comes to the superstar quarterback's future with the team. The options:

• Pay Manning a $28 million bonus, per his contract, on March 8.
• Renegotiate the that five-year contract he signed last summer - before news came out that he would miss the entire season to rehabilitate after his third neck surgery in 19 months.
• Risk losing the four-time MVP as a free agent.

And despite Irsay's repeated declarations that he didn't want to discuss the situation, and Manning's assertions that the focus should be on the Super Bowl that Indianapolis is hosting, not on him, the sticky situation has overshadowed the game for the NFL title, and has come up in nearly every news conference that has been held in the run-up to the big game.

And this week, Manning himself emphasized to reporters in Indianapolis he has no plans to retire .

Earlier Wednesday, team's new offensive coordinator, Bruce Arians, said he hopes Manning returns to the Colts, though he believes the best way for a rookie quarterback to learn is by playing. The Colts organization has widely acknowledged that they plan to take a quarterback to be Manning's eventual successor with their first round pick in the NFL draft - which they earned with their dismal season sans Manning.

The decision is expected to come down to presumed No. 1 choice Andrew Luck or Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III -- either of whom would get playing time if Arians - coincidentally the first NFL offensive coach Manning worked with in the NFL - has a say.

In the Super Bowl media frenzy, Luck himself has said he would want to play as a rookie .

And when it comes time for Irsay to make the decision, it may not come down only to the medical facts.

He said he is still willing to pay the bonus due Manning if he can find a way to make it work under the salary cap, and if he determines bringing back Manning would be the best move for the organization.

Yes, Irsay said he wants to keep No. 18 for the rest of his career. But it may not make good business sense.

"Emotionally, I think it's difficult from a sentimental point of view," Irsay said. "I think it's even harder on the fans because you don't want to look at the reality. But my responsibility is that when we go on the field on opening day, the circle is as strong as we can be to win."