Broncos' Gary Kubiak in no rush to pick between Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler
A day after Peyton Manning returned to the lineup and led the Denver Broncos to a win that clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, head coach Gary Kubiak declined to name his starting quarterback for the postseason.
Kubiak won't pick between Manning and Brock Osweiler until he meets with the entire team, which won't happen until Thursday. Broncos players were given three days off after securing a bye. But several, including Manning, are expected to be at team headquarters Monday to visit with trainers.
"I have no timeline," Kubiak said, adding he did not have any concerns that a quarterback controversy could hover over the team as it heads into playoff preparation. The Broncos will play the lowest remaining seed after the wild-card round — either the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs or Houston Texans — in their divisional matchup Jan. 16.
"Our football team understands we always have direction. They also understand through the course of the season what has taken place with our team and how we're going to handle it," Kubiak said.
Still, it would be a surprise if Kubiak doesn't pick Manning to start. The 39-year-old quarterback, who missed six games with a torn plantar fascia, led four scoring drives (two touchdowns, on runs by C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman, and two field goals) after replacing Osweiler in the third quarter of Sunday's win against the San Diego Chargers.
Kubiak said he believed Manning's foot held up well in his first game action since Nov. 15. Manning was not among players receiving MRIs on Monday.
"I think he's OK," Kubiak said.
And really, Manning's health has always been at the crux of the quarterback debate, even as Osweiler went 4-2 during his absence.
The Broncos committed five turnovers Sunday when Osweiler was on the field, but Kubiak was adamant that has no bearing on how he views the fourth-year backup, who led the Broncos to a 7-6 halftime lead Sunday thanks to a 72-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas.
***
Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones