After 14 seasons, one Super Bowl victory and about a trillion audibles, Peyton Manning will no longer be an Indianapolis Colt.

The Colts don’t want to pay the quarterback a $28 million bonus because of concerns about his neck and the prospect of bringing in Andrew Luck, the most prized rookie QB to come into the league since, well, Manning.

I don’t blame Indy for that. It’s obvious they want to start a new era with Luck, and having the spectre of Manning lurking on the roster would stunt that plan.

I’m sure the Colts had hoped Manning would just retire and ride into the sunset having never slipped on an enemy uniform.

But that isn’t the way things are in pro sports these days. A player rarely begins and ends his career with the same team.

Actually, that’s the way things always have been.

Looking back into history, legends closing out their careers with another team isn’t all that unique:

n When you think of Beaver Falls’ own Joe Namath, you think the N.Y. Jets.

But Namath spent his final NFL season with the Los Angeles Rams. He only made it through four games.

n Ringgold product Joe Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl titles, but spent his last two seasons in Kansas City. He did get the Chiefs to the AFC championship game in 1993, but it was a little weird seeing him wear No. 19.

n Montana’s main target in San Fran, Jerry Rice, crossed the bay to play for the Raiders, where he turned in a few solid seasons.

But he spent his final year in the league with the Seattle Seahawks. His only claim to fame in grunge-land was he got to wear No. 80, Steve Largent’s jersey number that was unretired for him.

n Seattle seems to be the place where legends go to stink.

Steeler great Franco Harris spent a forgettable final season with the Seattle Seahawks, where the running back rushed for a mere 170 yards.

n At least Brett Favre never played for the Seahawks ... yet.

Favre was Mr. Green Bay until he retired, unretired, forced a trade to the Jets, retired, unretired, signed with the Vikings and led them to the NFC title game, retired, unretired, re-signed with the Vikes and became a 40-year-old tackling dummy for the rest of the league.

Got that?

n There have been many more big names who closed out their careers in another city with a thud, like O.J. Simpson (49ers), Emmitt Smith (Cardinals), Johnny Unitas (Chargers) and Hines Ward (whoever he signs with).

What do all these guys have in common? Other then a few fleeting moments, the time spent with another team (or two) at the end of their careers were little more than footnotes.

That’s not to say Manning will encounter a similar fate.

But history isn’t on his side.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.