Curtis Painter to make his first NFL start Monday night

If the thought of Peyton Manning having a third surgery in 19 months and potentially missing the entire season scared you, try to process this: Curtis Painter will start Monday night for the Colts in front of a national audience.

Breath…

Yeah, it’s a difficult to comprehend. A guy that couldn’t run the offense during the preseason, will line be under center for a meaningful game.

I will never forget his first regular season action, in week 16 of 2009. The Colts were 14-0, at home, against the Jets with a reasonable lead. Bill Polian made the call to “rest” the starts and essentially forfeit the perfect season.

That was a no-win situation for any quarterback. The next game he we shuffled into a blizzard in Buffalo where once again, the Colts lost.

After Kerry Collins was held off the field last week by doctors because of concussion symptoms, Painter had another try.

His preseason was absolutely pathetic and embarrassing.

One teammate that has made noise for Painter to get a shot is Reggie Wayne. When the Colts brought Collins into training camp, he questioned the thinking of the team management and lack of support for Painter who had been with the team two seasons already.

Today, Wayne made an appearance on Michael Irvin’s radio show on WQAM in Miami, and again pledged his support for Painter.

“It took me two years to learn this offense,” Wayne said.  “Now, you mean to tell me you’re gonna bring in somebody and he’s gonna learn it in 18 days?  That just didn’t sit right.  That just didn’t sit right with me.  And I know we had Curtis Painter who’d been here for three years.  You just gotta give him a shot.  We gotta give him a chance.”

“I may get a lot of flak about this, but that’s all the way different from what our whole motto is.  Our whole motto’s always been ‘the next man up.’  And then we went and got somebody else.  I’m like, ‘Well, that’s not how we roll, really.’”

I like the loyalty from Reggie Wayne and he does see Painter everyday in practice. But based on Painter’s performance in preseason and last week, he isn’t even enough to tide the Colts over until Collins return or even next season.

To his credit, Curtis has handled the situation and media with class and hasn’t said anything negative. Simply, I don’t think he is good enough. While, he does know the offense better than Collins or Dan Orlovsky or who was re-signed by the team this week, he may be third in terms of talent.

Painter will get the nation’s attention Monday night as he makes his first professional start against the 2-1 Buccaneers. For the Colts sake, I hope he hangs in there and does not hurt their chances to win. It’s not that easy.

First, he needs to get serious and learn from Tom Brady (I can’t believe I said that)…cut your hair!

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