The Denver Broncos have spent the first few weeks of their offseason watching their biggest threat in the AFC win the Super Bowl and enduring a multitude of questions about their roster. The team has a ton of key players that are eligible for free agency, but most importantly, the future of star quarterback Peyton Manning is not set in stone.
Tom Brady's 4th Title Goading Manning Into Returning?
Right after the Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs, many questioned whether Manning was washed up. Then it was revealed that he had played the final month of the season with a torn quadriceps, and it became a question of whether Manning wanted to return. For his part, Manning did not exactly downplay any speculation about retirement.
However, as the weeks have passed, signs have increasingly point toward Manning returning for the 2015 season, and he may have gotten an extra incentive to do so when Tom Brady - the man to whom Manning will always be compared - won his fourth Super Bowl.
Now, according to SB Nation, Manning has started working out again because he wants to test himself physically and make sure that he can play before he commits to returning for another season. He reportedly wants to have a decision made by the end of February, which would allow the team plenty of time to figure out its draft needs, regardless of Peyton's choice.
If he does not feel that he can continue playing at a high level, Manning will likely elect to hang up his cleats, meaning these workouts are crucial to his decision-making process.
Manning is expected to base his decision primarily on his health, but the Broncos offseason moves could influence his choice also. He is reportedly okay with the new coaching hires, although there will certainly be a learning curve for all parties.
A key factor could be what Denver decides to do with Demaryious and Julius Thomas, two of Manning's most trusted targets. If both were to be wearing Broncos orange next year, it would no doubt make it much easier to sway Manning into playing another season.
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