I’m a big fan of the NFL offseason. I love looking over tables of statistics from the NFL Combine as more than 300 potential draft prospects are measured on all types of technical and psychological skills for seven days in Indianapolis.

I love watching teams figure out what pieces they need to put together to have a parade of their own next season, just like the New York Giants did earlier in the week.

By April you’d think I’d already be tired of the NFL offseason. Not even close.

Then we get a whole month of deciding where all these future players will be drafted, and then we watch it unfold in a primetime television slot where the whole world can see where these players will play next year.

To be honest, I love the build up of football more than the game itself. But there are parts of the offseason that I don’t like.

I don’t like when the media zeroes in on an aging quarterback and his inevitable breakup from the team that he’s subsequently built from a laughing stock to one of the most recognized sports teams in the world.

I am of course talking about Peyton Manning and his impending divorce with the Colts, which will come sooner rather than later.

Since Manning missed the entire season because of a third neck surgery and the Colts claimed the No. 1 pick, there’s been constant speculation about Manning’s place in the future.

In fact, we know one date will show eventually show what direction Indianapolis is going in. The organization is due to give Manning a $28 million bonus on March 8.

I’ve seen three schools of thought on this predicament.

1. Trade Manning and get several draft picks for one of football’s greatest passers of all time.
2. Keep Manning and have him tutor the Colts’ first pick, whether it’s Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. (It’s going to be Luck.)
3. Release Peyton Manning.

Manning will be 36 years old when the 2012 season begins, and he is not going to tutor his eventual predecessor.

He’s worried about his own legacy and how he can find a place where, in the next one or two years, he can win his second title. That way, his brother Eli doesn’t end up with more rings than him.

So now, Peyton has to find a new team.

The leader in the clubhouse is the Washington Redskins, if Manning becomes a free agent. They’ve got enough money to pay Manning to make him happy.

They’ll cater their offense around Manning so he won’t have to change what he’s been doing in Indianapolis for the past 13 years.

Look for the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Chiefs—to name a few—to be vying for his services, as well.

However, getting to a happy ending for both the Colts and Manning will be dicey.

Colts owner Jim Irsay has already taken to Twitter several times throughout this process, trying to stonewall Manning while the two sides work through this process.

It’s really a shame to watch. Manning has given so much to the city of Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, and the NFL. He should be able to work through his deal with the Colts without it becoming a whole summer of “Where is Peyton Manning going to end up?”

We have many historical examples to go off of, whether it’s Johnny Unitas leaving the Baltimore Colts, Joe Montana departing from the 49ers, or Brett Favre separation from the Packers.

What we’ve learned from all these examples is this: Manning and the Colts need to make this as painless as possible for their fans, so both parties can move on to next phases of their life.

There shouldn’t be any hard feelings. There shouldn’t be any war of words. The NFL is a business, and I think both of these parties recognize that.

Now, let’s cross our fingers and hope that they can get it done.

I don’t want another summer of ESPN’s Ed Werder camped out on somebody’s lawn.