To trade Manning Colts would have had to pay a $28M signing bonus!!!! Given that the contract he signed w/ Denver had 18M guaranteed [10M less] one must presume the Colts would not have been able to trade Manning w/ 28M G. To get the other 40M "guaranteed" from Denver, Manning had to pass a 2013 team physical. So if Denver didn't like his progress they could have cut him w/o long term effect, at a cost of a 18M for 1 year. Any team trading for Manning was on the hook for $28M plus at least the league min salary and give up a late pick; if he's cut after one year.
Conversely, GB saved alot of dead money [at least 6M] by trading Favre as opposed to cutting him.
Favre, in demanding his release, expected GB to not sign 1-2 other future players [due to dead money wasted by cutting him]. This is a crazy myopic sociopathy. And thank you Ted Thompson for not giving into his childish and terroristic demands!
Favre's just a nut to think he paved the way for Manning...A TOTAL NUT! LOL