Peyton Manning Timeline

This timeline is from Stampede Blue’s article defending thier claim that Manning was injured in week 1, when they then reported it (which I 100% believe).  It is a good timeline of Manning’s season, no matter what you think about when he was hurt.

September 12th, 2010: Colts play the Texans Week One of the 2010, and lose 34-24. Peyton Manning is sacked twice and knocked down and around seemingly a gazillion times.

September 14th, 2010: I am contacted by a knowledgeable source, via email, informing me that Peyton has severe neck pain due to an injury and the Colts staff are aware and treating it. The source asks to be listed as anonymous for fear of reprisals. I spend the next three days following up with source on details.

September 16th, 2010: The Week Two injury report for Thursday is released. It makes no mention of Peyton Manning with any kind of neck injury.

September 17th, 2010: Stampede Blue story is posted titled, Rumor: Peyton Manning Is Hurt. Chaos ensues.

September 19th, 2010: The Colts play the Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium. Peyton is seen with a sleeve over his left elbow. This was a similar sleeve he wore in 2010 while recovering from a March 2010 neck surgery. Manning threw the ball only 26 times in that game (his fewest attempts in one game all season, save the Jets playoff game, which was also 26) as Colts win 38-14.

 October 15th, 2010: After watching five Colts games, ESPN TV analyst Ron Jaworski says that Peyton has ‘not been real sharp,’ and that perhaps time is catching up with him. Colts fans eviscerate Jaworski.

November 21st, 2010: Peyton Manning begins a stretch of three games that has him throwing three or more interceptions per game.

November 28th, 2010: Against the Chargers, Peyton is seen with the sleeve from Week Two now on his throwing arm, covering his right elbow. He tosses four picks against San Diego, including two returned for touchdowns. Colts blown out at home 36-14. 

 November 29th, 2010: Phil Wilson of the Indianapolis Star reports that Colts coach Jim Caldwell claims the sleeve on Peyton’s right elbow was due to an abrasion he suffered falling to the ground.

December 1st, 2010: The first injury report for Week Thirteen makes no mention of any injury associated with Peyton Manning. Peyton has not spent one second on the injury list all season.

December 2nd, 2010: Peyton Manning admits to CBS Sports that he had a ‘stinger’ injury in his right shoulder and played through it against the Chargers in Week Twelve.

December 3rd, 2010: Final injury report for Week Thirteen. No mention of Peyton with any kind of injury despite him admitting to CBS he had one.

December 5th, 2010: Peyton throws four INTs against the Dallas Cowboys. Colts lose 38-35 at home. Fall to 6-6 on the season. Peyton plays the entire game with sleeve on his right elbow. That must be some ‘abrasion’, Coach Caldwell.

December 9th, 2010: Don Banks of Sports Illustrated writes an online article saying Peyton Manning is possibly playing hurt. He cites Stampede Blue’s Sept. 17th post as a source. He also quotes an unnamed league source who states that Peyton has lost some arm strength.

December 26th, 2011: Colts play the Raiders in Oakland, and the sleeve is now gone from Peyton’s right elbow. 

 January 8th, 2011: Colts are eliminated from the playoffs 17-16 by the NY Jets. Peyton finishes the season with 679 attempts, the most in one season for him in his entire thirteen year career. For all of the 2010 season, Peyton Manning is not listed on the injury report prior to a game.

May 24th, 2011: Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star reports that Peyton Manning has had surgery to repair ‘a disc-related issue in his neck.’ Chappell states that the injury that cause the ‘disc-related issue’ happened somewhat recently, but did not provide details. It’s assumed the source for this causality explanation is Peyton himself, as he reported the surgery.

May 24th, 2011: After news broke regarding Peyton’s neck surgery, Colts owner Jim Irsay was asked by reporters at the 2011 Spring owners meeting in Indianapolis if Peyton’s injury occurred during the 2010 season. Irsay says that the injury built up over time, but just only started to cause Peyton discomfort.