One measly victory over the Bears and suddenly the Broncos landscape for the immediate future is up in the air.
It really could be a soap opera called "Peyton's Place?"
Broncos May Be Contributing To Peyton Manning's Demise By Trotting Him Out Onto Field Hurt
Backup quarterback Brock Osweiler guided Denver to a 17-15 victory over Chicago to halt the Broncos' two-game losing streak. That threw coach Gary Kubiak into non-commital mode as to whether Osweiler or Peyton Manning would start next Sunday night when the Patriots visit.
And that led to the possibility of Manning asking for a trade in the offseason if he's not reinserted as starting quarterback.
Peyton Manning Could Be In Browns Front Office In 2016
Appearing on "Football Night in America" Sunday night, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said he spoke to someone familiar with Manning's plans who said the 39-year-old plans to play in 2016, "even if he is not a member of the Denver Broncos," Larry Brown Sports reported.
"I'm told he currently intends to play next year, even if it's not for the Broncos," Florio said.
It's a stunning revelation for those who have watched Manning struggle for most of the season, even before he got was forced to sit out the game in Chicago because of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. In nine games, Manning is completing just 59.9 percent of his passes, the second lowest percentage of his career, and he has nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions on the season -- the 17 picks already tying the third highest season total of his career.
But Manning's contract with the Broncos doesn't run out until after the 2016 season. He is owed $19 million for 2016 and has a no-trade clause, per the Denver Post. But if he intends on playing, he's not going to be on a team in which his starting spot is not guaranteed.
Kubiak sidestepped the question about Denver's starter next week after the Broncos' win Sunday, according to Pro Football Talk.
"I knew that was coming," Kubiak said when asked about the situation by reporters. "Here's the deal: We got healthier here today. We've got some guys on this team that we're trying to get healthy, so that's important. And we won our eighth game. So we're going to focus on winning today and enjoy winning and we'll go back to work next week."
After Florio's comments on Sunday, NBC analyst Tony Dungy, Manning's former coach in Indianapolis, said he has not heard the same information.
But it stands to reason if Manning doesn't get back on the field this year, he might not want his legacy to end that way and would want to give it one more shot. His risking further embarrassment, but then again, he came back this year after the signs last year that he should consider retiring.
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