One of the "stumbling blocks" in negotiations between the Colts and QB Andrew Luck “is the proposed inclusion of marketing language that Luck and his representatives, at least so far, regard as strident,” according to Len Pasquarelli of the SPORTS XCHANGE. A source said Luck would "have to clear" marketing proposals with the club. Pasquarelli noted Broncos QB Peyton Manning “became the face of the NFL" as a result of the "huge volume of marketing and endorsement money” he earned while playing for the Colts. Some team officials, and “certainly players from other clubs, privately contend Manning was overexposed.” Another hurdle for the Colts in signing the number one overall draft pick is the “schedule for the payout of Luck's signing bonus” (THE SPORTS XCHANGE, 6/22). Colts Owner Jim Irsay took to Twitter on Saturday to refute Pasquarelli’s report that negotiations between Luck and the Colts "are being held up by the team's insistence to have control over the quarterback's potential endorsement deals.” Irsay tweeted, "Someone is being fed a big breaky of BS this morning!" He added, "the'One Source'is completely wrong/We're close on #12 n final details unrelated 2 marketing" (ESPN.com, 6/23). Irsay also tweeted, “It's ludicrous 2say we thought#18 was overexposed;he did a great job of focusing on football n 'Branding'incredibly positive Image4Franchise.” CBSSPORTS.com’s Josh Katzowitz wrote, "If all of this is true, it seems unfair for Indianapolis to try to limit Luck’s potential to make money on the side” (CBSSPORTS.com, 6/22).
