NBC Sports' Tony Dungy thinks the Indianapolis Colts should draft quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford if they get the No. 1 overall pick. Even if it means setting up a possible quarterback competition with Peyton Manning.
Expanding on comments he first made Friday on Football Night in America colleague Dan Patrick's radio show, the Super Bowl-winning coach said Luck could help his 0-6 former club in two ways.
If Manning is unable to effectively return from his neck injury, then they have Luck waiting in the wings, he said. If Manning is Manning again, they could trade Luck -- and try to reap the kind of windfall the Cincinnati Bengals got for Carson Palmer.
But Dungy makes it clear meant the Colt should trade Luck not Manning, the QB who won him a Super Bowl ring.
"If Manning doesn't play, then you got your quarterback of the future," Dungy said Sunday. "If Manning comes back, is totally healthy, looks like he's going to play 3-4 more years, then they could trade him. But I meant trade Luck, not Manning."
In both the Sunday and Friday interviews, Dungy pointed to his experience as a young coach in Pittsburgh. The Steelers passed on drafting Dan Marino because they had Terry Bradshaw, he noted. When Bradshaw retired, the team had to search years for a new QB until until they drafted Ben Roethlisberger.
Said Dungy: " I just don't think you pass on a great quarterback if you have the opportunity. If need be, you can trade it away. Hopefully they don't end up with that pick. But if they do, I assume they think Luck is the best asset to have in your pocket."
To listen to Dungy's full interview from Patrick's show, click here.
About Reid and Tom
Reid Cherner and Tom Weir have been with USA TODAY since 1982 and they have written Game On! since March 2008.
Reid has covered everything from high schools to horse racing to the college and the pros. The only thing he likes more than his own voice is the sound of readers telling him when he's right and wrong.
Tom has covered every Summer and Winter Olympics since 1984, and has made numerous trips to the Super Bowl, World Series, Final Four and NBA Finals. In 2009, he put more miles on his bicycle than on his car.
About Mike and Mike
Michael McCarthy and Michael Hiestand have more in common than their first names.
Both have covered sports media and marketing for USA TODAY. Both have tackled the sports biz ranging from what's behind mega-events such as the Olympics and Super Bowl to the sometimes-hidden numbers behind the sports world's bottom line.
But they usually come at things from different directions, and it's no wonder. Hiestand is an Oregon native who went to Stanford while McCarthy is a native New Yorker who went to St. John's.