What about Bob?

The Colts haven't officially said so, but the closest person in the world to Peyton tells me Manning will be in the lineup when the Colts open next weekend against the Bears at home.

Eli Manning says Peyton will be there for the opener. In fact, he told me there was no doubt in his mind that his older brother would be ready to go. The Manning brothers chat regularly, and the way Eli answered so quickly when I asked him about his big bro made me think Colts fans should be very optimistic about their quarterback being there from the start. Peyton Manning has never missed a game in his previous 10 NFL seasons.

That's what Colts coach Tony Dungy says of his quarterback, who is still recovering from knee surgery.

Manning finally showed up at Colts camp today, and explained that he's anxious to resume practice. But he could offer no timetable about when he'll be back.

Meanwhile, Dungy said his guess is that Manning will be ready for the Sept. 7 opener. But he could offer no assurances. If Manning doesn't play, it would be the first time he's missed a game in his entire career.

In answer to your next question: His name is Jim Sorgi.

Not necessarily earth-shattering news given it's the Colts' first preseason game.

But Harrison has been dogged by knee problems since early last season, and he is apparently feeling well enough to play in what would otherwise be a meaningless game.

That's good news for Colts fans, who have been unsure about Harrison's future in recent months. Unfortunately for Harrison, he won't be catching passes from Peyton Manning, who is still out after undergoing knee surgery. The Colts still believe Manning will be ready for the regular season.

It's not just the fact that Harrison may have been involved in a recent shooting incident outside his bar in Philadelphia.

It's the fact that he's 35 years old, barely played last season, and is still not 100 percent healthy because of knee problems.

Ashley Fox of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes a closer look at where Harrison is at these days.

That's what Colts owner James Irsay says, and he hopes it's true.

Harrison has not been charged in connection with a recent shooting outside a bar he owns in Philadelphia. And at this point, no charges appear imminent.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Colts receiver Marvin Harrison is reportedly being investigated in a shooting that took place in Philadelphia earlier this week, according to Anthony Gargano of WIP Radio in Philadelphia.

According to the report, the incident occurred early Tuesday afternoon outside a North Philadelphia bar owned by Harrison. Harrison has yet to be arrested or charged with the crime.

"I just walked off the practice field [at rookie minicamp] and heard about the incident, and that's all I know," Colts coach Tony Dungy said Friday. "We're obviously going to look into it. I haven't spoken to Marvin yet."

According to Gargano, a source told him the alleged victim came into the bar, Playmakers, around 5 p.m. and engaged in an argument with Harrison, who was at the bar. The victim then left the bar, heading to his car, with Harrison following. Gunfire broke out, the victim was hit in the hand, and a young girl was slightly injured by flying glass from a car that apparently was hit by a bullet.

While it is very early in the investigation, this is certainly not good news for Harrison, who has one of the cleanest images of any NFL player. If police find enough evidence to arrest and convict him, it obviously spells the end of his Hall of Fame career. But, we repeat, it is very early, and we need to let the facts come out and the investigation conclude before we jump to any conclusions.

One of the most important aspects of the Colts' decision to extend Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders' contract before the end of the 2007 season was that it gave the Colts flexibility to retain Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark.

Well, the Colts took advantage of that flexibility by designating Clark their franchise player, thereby retaining his rights through at least the 2008 season. Polian would have likely used the franchise designation on Sanders had he not signed the safety to a long-term deal.

The hope in Indy is that Clark will agree to a long-term extension and remain one of Peyton Manning's favorite targets for years to come. Absent a multi-year deal, the franchise designation is the next best thing.

Clark doesn't want to go anywhere, but he does want to earn top dollar as one of the premier players at his position. Team president Bill Polian hasn't hestitated to shell out big bucks to keep his premier players, signing Manning, Reggie Wayne, Sanders, and Dwight Freeney to long-term extensions the last three years.

Clark is on that wish list, and chances are Polian will find a way to keep him long term. But at least he bought himself some time with the franchise tag.

The Colts have called a 4:30 p.m. news conference about their head coaching position. In attendance will be head coach Tony Dungy, who has been mulling retirement, team owner Jim Irsay, team president Bill Polian, and assistant head coach Jim Caldwell will be in attendance.

Not sure what that means, although if Dungy were simply coming back, we wonder if there'd be such a big deal about it. He'll either step down and the Colts will immediately name Caldwell his replacement. Or Dungy will announce that he's coming back in 2008 and that Caldwell will take over once he's through coaching.

UPDATE: The NFL Network is reporting that Dungy will return for the 2008 season. Details to follow.

Tony Dungy has indicated he'll let the Colts know sometime today whether he plans to return for the 2008 season or step aside and have assistant head coach Jim Caldwell take over as head coach.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Colts owner Jim Irsay believes Dungy is leaning toward coming back, but the owner doesn't know for sure.

Please follow the wires on the Dungy situation. Unlike Best, who spends his days scouring websites and making calls in his basement in his jammies, we actually get out of the house and cover things. We need to get back from Giants-Packers, so we'll be incommunicado for a bit. I'm not sure if there will be a ceremony at the airport, but I'll let you know if we're greeted by screaming throngs of Giants fans welcoming their writers home.

Please visit Best's blog. He is leading the Newsday sports blogs for the month, and it really means a lot to him. We'd like to do everything possible to make sure he wins, because if he doesn't, he will pull a Nick Hardwick and whine about it.

There's increasing speculation that Colts coach Tony Dungy will step down after the playoffs are over. That speculation was fueled even further by a report in the Tampa Tribune that Dungy's son has enrolled in a high school in the Tampa area.

Dungy has often said he'd relocate to Tampa once his coaching days are done.

Would it surprise me to see Dungy retire after the playoffs? Absolutely not. In fact, I wrote a column during training camp suggesting that there was a very good chance this would be Dungy's last year.

Looks like we'll get our answer in the coming weeks.

If Dungy does decide to step down, look for Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell to be the front-runner to be his replacement.

The Colts saw star receiver Marvin Harrison return to practice yesterday for the first time in more than two months.

Harrison has been out with what's been called a bruised knee, although chances are it was a bit more serious than that. Either way, if the Colts get Harrison back for the playoffs, it would be huge news for the defending champion Colts, who have done a brilliant job weathering an assortment of injuries during their title defense.

With the 15-0 Patriots dominating the headlines for most of the year, the Colts have flown largely under the radar. But they're peaking at the right time, and if they get their biggest receiving threat back for the postseason, they will be an extraordinarily dangerous team in the tournament.