It’s now been five full weeks since Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had surgery to remove an infected bursa sac from his left knee.  And Peter King of SI.com makes the case for the possibility — he pegs it at 30, 35 percent — that Manning won’t be ready in two weeks and six days, when the Colts properly christen their new stadium by squaring off against the Bears in Week One.

We never put much stock in the team’s initial assessment that Manning will need “four-to-six weeks” to recover, since:  (1) there’s no obligation by teams to be honest about injuries in the preseason; and (2) most shrewd teams aren’t honest about injuries even when required to be.

King points out that the decision ultimately will be made by the doctors, even if the doctors realize that failing to clear Manning in time for him to get ready to play will likely cause him to blow a bolt out of his neck.

Then there’s the issue of not having a bursa sac.  As King points out, the thing lubricates the knee.  So unless there’s a way to make up for what’s no longer there, Manning will be the Tin Man without the oil can.

None of it is good for the Colts, and the situation should be one of the biggest stories right now in the NFL.  But Indy’s a one-paper town, and the folks at the Indianapolis Star (who royally pissed off the Colts a year ago by — God forbid — calling kicker Adam Vinatieri’s mother to check on his injured foot) know not to rock the boat. 

Meanwhile, Manning’s “PeyBack Bowl” is set for tonight, and there’s still no mention of it on Manning’s web site or in the Indianapolis media.

Stay tuned.  Some major national media outlet with multiple television channels requiring fresh content will eventually assign a gaggle of reporters to the story.

Oh, wait.  Maybe they won’t.  After all, the Colts’ regular-season opener is on NBC.