The Denver Broncos are gearing up for another season in which they will hope to overpower opposing defenses, earn a first-round playoff bye, and push toward the Super Bowl. The team has Peyton Manning back in the fold, and he even agreed to restructure his contract to help the team put talent around him.
Eli Manning On His Way Out Of New York?
Last year, although Manning dealt with a quad injury, there were also whispers that he was slowing down and that he could no longer sling it all over the field at a high level. While Manning himself may have something to say about it, the team is certainly aware of the possibility, and they may be planning to manage their star quarterback with that in mind, according to The Denver Post.
New Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak has apparently had talks with the future Hall of Famer about benching him periodically to allow him to rest and avoid some of the wear and tear that comes with an NFL season.
Broncos Already Looking Toward Post-Manning Years?
Brock Osweiler has studied under Manning for three years as the backup, and the team appears to have confidence in his ability to lead the squad in Manning's absence.
"I think as a coach you have to make those suggestions to players," Kubiak said Tuesday. "But sometimes with the great ones, the reason they're great is you have to battle them on things like that because they're used to being a part of it every day.
"I want to do what's best for him. I went through the same process with John (Elway) late in his career, and it was a battle for me and Mike (Shanahan) to do some things with him."
While it may sound crazy to talk about benching Peyton Manning for Brock Osweiler, it is a stretch to say that the team is talking about a quarterback competition or anything. Instead, fans could be witnessing the first NFL team to try a minutes management approach with their aging stars.
San Antonio's Gregg Popovich has done this for years with his stars, which is one of the reasons why they are still able to compete at a high level despite approaching 40.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Manning, but for the first time in his career, he may spend some time on the bench without being injured.
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