BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Justin Tuck expects Peyton Manning to make any team he signs for an instant NFL powerhouse. The New York Giants defensive end just hopes it's not a team in the NFC East.
The Indianapolis Colts avoided paying Manning a $28 million bonus by releasing the 35-year-old quarterback Wednesday, and his list of suitors is looking long. Tuck is concerned about one potential destination - the Washington Redskins.
"There's gonna be a lot of teams bidding for the services of Peyton Manning. Even with the injury, I think he's still gonna come back strong and he's going make whichever team he goes to an instant powerhouse," Tuck told The Associated Press while at Barcelona's Global Sports Forum on Thursday. "Hopefully he doesn't come to the NFC East where I'll have to play him twice a year."
Washington is among a bunch of teams interested in signing the 14-year-veteran and former Super Bowl champion who sat out all of last season following multiple neck surgeries.
Tuck expects the four-time league MVP to return to his best, but was also wary about being the player to injure him again amid emerging news of the New Orleans Saints bounty system. The NFL is investigating a topic that Tuck said "has no place in the NFL."
"You know guys' weaknesses, even if they are fully healthy, you know what they are and how to exploit that. But you never go out trying to hurt a guy," the Giants captain said.
Tuck, who was a speaker the annual sports conference held in the Catalan capital, managed to catch Barcelona's 7-1 Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night, when he saw Lionel Messi score five times for the hosts.
Tuck got to meet Messi in person on Thursday, swapping jerseys with the diminutive Argentina international nicknamed "The Flea," who he immediately drew comparisons with his own quarterback - Peyton's brother - Eli Manning.
"(Eli) reminds me of a lot of Messi. He's just one of those guys who wants to go about his job the best he can, he doesn't worry about the fame, he doesn't worry about the limelight. He's just an old country boy that wants to go out there and throw the football around," said Tuck, who is a two-time Super Bowl champion alongside Eli. "You just know every time he steps on the football field you have a chance to win."
Tuck said the Giants' Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots last month was still sinking in, although he was already sizing up next month's draft, when he expects management to probably select a tight end or offensive linesman with the 32nd pick.