"Not that they applauded — it would be unsportsmanlike to root for an opponent's injury — but Peyton Manning having to sit out the 2011 season to recover from a neck injury was not bad news for the Texans.

Now fresh off their first AFC South Division championship with the T-shirts to prove it, the Texans are primed for more good news on the Manning front.

With the Colts undergoing dramatic front-office and coaching changes this offseason, Manning's future with Indianapolis is in doubt. There is a growing belief around the league Manning has played his last game with the organization that drafted him in 1998.

If there are two lines, one for teams not interested in having a healthy Manning as their starting quarterback and one for everybody else, the Texans would be in that long one. Preferably at the front.

Sorry, Matt Schaub. Thanks for your service.

Schaub might be a solid quarterback, but a healthy Manning is more than solid. He is an all-time great.

If Texans owner Bob McNair and general manager Rick Smith are serious about winning a championship, and they claim they are, they will give serious consideration to signing Manning."