Teary Manning says goodbye to Colts

Peyton Manning bid an emotional farewell to the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday after being released from his contract.

Manning – who is currently sidelined with a neck injury – had his Colts career ended after the NFL franchise opted to cut him rather than pay a huge $US28million bonus later this week.

The quarterback, who turns 36 on March 24, fought back tears as he said goodbye to the team and the fans at a press conference in South Florida, where he lives.

“Nobody loves their job more than I do,” Manning said.

“Nobody loves playing quarterback more than I do. I still want to play. But there is no other team I wanted to play for.”

A four-time NFL MVP, Manning will have plenty of suitors chasing his signature, with Arizona, Miami, Seattle, Tennessee, Washington and the New York Jets all rumoured to be keen in acquiring his services.

“We all know that nothing lasts forever,” Manning said.

“Times change, circumstances change, and that’s the reality of playing in the NFL. I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works.”

“I don’t know if it’s like college recruiting where you go take visits. I mean, this is all so new to me.”

The Colts are tipped to grab Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the number one overall pick in April’s NFL draft.