Peyton Manning to Back Up Brock Osweiler on Sunday
Peyton Manning will return to the field for the Denver Broncos this weekend against the Chargers, but in a backup fashion.
Peyton Manning’s foot injury seems to be a thing of the past, as Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak stated that the All-Pro quarterback will return to the sidelines as the backup to Brock Osweiler. Peyton Manning missed six-straight games due to a partially torn fascia, leaving Osweiler as the go-to option for the Denver Broncos.
Next: Peyton Manning: Five Potential Landing Spots Next Year
With Brock Osweiler looking impressive in his stint as starting quarterback, Kubiak does not want to switch things up in the last week of the regular season, especially with playoff implications looming large based on the Denver Broncos’ outcome against the Chargers. The Denver Broncos control their own fate heading into the final week of the season, with a win securing the division title.
However, the Kansas City Chiefs look like the team to beat over the past eight-or-so weeks, catapulting their team into the Wild Card picture. With the Chiefs only a game behind the Denver Broncos, Kubiak wants to keep Osweiler in the lineup over Peyton Manning to keep his quarterback play constant in efforts to seal the win against the Chargers.
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Luckily, the Denver Broncos host the Chargers in week 17 of the NFL season; however, Peyton Manning may never see playing time for the remainder of the season. In the first couple weeks after Peyton Manning’s injury, Kubiak looked poised to give him the starting job back upon his return, but as each week ensued, Kubiak leaned more and more towards Osweiler heading the Denver Broncos’ offense.
Brock Osweiler will enter free agency after the season, but if he has a strong showing in the playoffs, the Denver Broncos likely try to bring him back to run their offense for years to come. Due to Peyton Manning losing the starting job, the Denver Broncos, most likely, try to move him this offseason, due to one year remaining on his current contract.
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Peyton Manning does not want to hold a backup role in his final season with the Denver Broncos, so a trade looks imminent. Although this is a tough way for the two (Denver Broncos and Manning) to cut ties, the Denver Broncos must do what is best for the team moving forward. They are a team built to make the playoffs for the next few seasons, so they do not have time to waste with bad quarterback play.
It is obvious that Peyton Manning is in the twilight of his career, and now that he struggles to stay healthy on a week-to-week basis, the Denver Broncos would be smart to move on from the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Peyton Manning may go down as the best quarterback in the history of the NFL, but every quarterback reaches a threshold where he can no longer compete at the top level.
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While the Denver Broncos, surely, want what is best for Peyton Manning, they want to make a deep playoff run this season. Moreover, their future, likely, revolves around Brock Osweiler, not Peyton Manning. With the best defense in the NFL, the Denver Broncos have a great chance to make a deep playoff run and, perhaps, even another Super Bowl appearance.
Peyton Manning led the NFL in interceptions through the first half of the season, and he struggled to throw the ball downfield, leaving defenses honing in on the short passes and run game. Brock Oweiler opens the Denver Broncos’ offense, and he is the quarterback that Kubiak wants to run his offense. Due to Osweiler getting the start in the final game of the season, there stands little-to-no chance that Peyton Manning reclaims the starting role heading into the playoffs.
Next: Peyton Manning: Five Potential Landing Spots Next Year
Barring an injury, Peyton Manning sticks in the backup role for the remainder of the 2015-2016 season. While it is a bittersweet ending to the Peyton Manning era in Denver, the Broncos made the right choice in this instance. Peyton Manning trades talks will be an interesting subject this offseason, so keep an eye on him after the season concludes.