John Elway: Peyton Manning hasn't refused backup role with Broncos
John Elway reacted quickly Sunday morning to refute a report from NFL Network that his injured veteran quarterback Peyton Manning would refuse to be Brock Osweiler’s backup.
“Peyton has never told Gary (Kubiak) or myself that he doesn’t want to be the backup. Any report or rumor that suggests otherwise is incorrect!!” Elway posted on his Twitter account.
The exclamation points and quick response to the report during Sunday’s pregame coverage show just how much that report from Ian Rapoport – and the ensuing debate from the in-studio panelists that included former NFL players Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk – incensed the Denver Broncos as they prepared for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But it also continues to highlight what is a complicated and delicate situation for Elway and Kubiak as they manage their quarterback situation, trying to pay mind to Manning’s feelings and the overall well-being of a team trying to make a playoff run.
Everything about the last month has been unfamiliar for Manning. When he was pulled from the Nov. 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, it was the first time the 39-year-old quarterback had ever left a game because of performance or injury. The five subsequent games he’s missed, including Sunday’s at Pittsburgh, are the first he’s missed mid-season in his career. He was inactive for the entire 2011 season while recovering from multiple neck surgeries.
When Manning returned to practice on a limited basis this week, it was the first time he did so not as the starter.
So the prospect of eventually suiting up as the No. 2 quarterback also would be unfamiliar for Manning – should the Broncos decide to stick with Brock Osweiler later this month or in January.
Yet Elway wanted to make clear in his statement that even if Manning might unsure about that role, he has not been acting out to his bosses. The fact that Manning was willing to work with the scout team on Wednesday and Thursday should be proof that he’s been open to a role that for so many years has been beneath him.
For now, though, any discussion about Manning as the Broncos’ potential backup is moot until Manning can prove he’s healthy. The Broncos ruled him out of the Pittsburgh game on Wednesday, and Manning’s left foot was too sore to practice on Friday.
Before the Broncos will even consider making him the No. 1 or the No. 2, he likely will need to show that he can practice for three consecutive days and that he can handle full-team reps, and not just a limited number of snaps on the scout team.
Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones.
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