Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning According to reports coming out of the Indianapolis camp, negotiations to extend the contract of Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning will begin after the season.

Colts owner Jim Irsay said that the new deal is expected to make their star signal caller the highest-paid player in NFL history in order to keep him with the franchise for his entire career.

Manning's current deal will run out at the end of the 2010 season.

"You know it's going to get done," Irsay said during Super Bowl XLIV media day interviews. "I think it's clear, and we'll start on it this summer. That's been the way we do things to hammer out an extension when a player is entering the final year of his contract. And it'll be the biggest in history;
there's not much doubt about that."

In 2004, Manning signed a contract extension for $99.2 million, including a record $34.5 million singing bonus, all of it paid up front. The final two seasons of that deal were voided because Manning met predetermined playing-time incentives, making 2010 the final year of the contract.

When it comes to ironing out Manning's new deal, Irsay thinks it will be easy.

"You know it's going to have to be the highest ever," said the Colts' owner. He went on to ad that "harder deals" are the ones involving good, but less important players.

"It simply comes to one question, and that's replaceability," Irsay explained. "Everything is based on the replaceability factor. You make decisions based on who you can afford to target and keep."