The Facts: Following up on the ongoing drama. ... For all the discussion over Manning’s future with the Colts, the underlying issue is that people close to him don’t believe he’ll resume his career. The nerves in Manning’s arm are not healing as quickly as hoped and, worse, don’t appear to be progressing at enough of a rate to indicate that he will play again, according to two sources with knowledge of Manning’s rehabilitation from neck surgery.

Diehards Line:The vertebrae in his neck that were fused have healed as expected and Manning began throwing in December. But according to Yahoo's Jason Cole, Manning hasn’t shown improvement in velocity on his passes, and Cole's two sources fear he likely never will again. In addition, two league-affiliated doctors with experience in spinal fusion surgery told Cole it could take up to a year before Manning knows if he can return. Both said the risk is too great for Manning to play again and, because of the timeline, neither would recommend the Colts pay Manning the $28 million bonus he is owed in March. ... We'll go ahead and remind you that Manning is said to be determined to play again. Clearly, however, nothing is guaranteed. Stay tuned. More undoubtedly to come.