Peyton Manning‘s days in Denver are numbered. But lets face it, you can say that about any active player who happens to be 39 years old.
According to a report by Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, Brock Osweiler will start the remainder of the Broncos season, however long it may go. Cole sites anonymous sources within the Broncos organization but when BSN Denver reached out to our sources, we received a much different message.
We have been told very plainly by a source that the guess work done by Cole is “flat-out wrong, that’s all there is to it.” The Denver Broncos could very well start Brock Osweiler for the rest of the year, or he could struggle down the stretch and they could start Manning when his foot heals but the situation is too fluid to make any type of definitive announcement right now.
The Broncos love what Osweiler has done, but according to a source, “The coaches are taking a wait and see approach” and “No definitive decision has been made yet.” You would assume that this is the due diligence that any team would execute during a decision of this magnitude.
Manning is still working his way back from injury as he wears a walking cast.
“I talked to Greek. The biggest question this week is really going to be about when the cast comes off,” head coach Gary Kubiak said Monday. “Does it come off early this week or does it come off at the end of the week? The progress has been good. The next step when he comes out of it is to get back into the rehab process into the field. We’ll just take it a day at a time right now. I think the big question this week will be when it comes off.”
Once the cast comes off, Manning can do rehab work to prepare his body for the gridiron. Before tearing his plantar fascia, Manning led the team to a 7-1 record when he was pulled during the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.
When Kubiak was asked if Osweiler has shown the needed qualities to lead the team the rest of the season post-game, the head coach praised the fourth-year quarterback for his perseverance and work ethic.
“I think Brock is taking advantage of an opportunity,” Kubiak said. “In this league, you work, you work, you work and you never know when an opportunity is going to come or how it’s going to come. Basically, he’s doing a great job with his opportunity, but the thing that Brock is doing the best, in my opinion, is understanding that he’s on a good football team. He’s staying composed and within himself and doing his job.”
In a few weeks, the Broncos will have the choice to either start a healthy Hall of Famer or a young, inspiring, gun-slinger. It’s a decision that many teams wish they had and one that the Broncos will make when the time comes.
UPDATE
The Broncos have released this statement on Twitter:
No decision has been made on our QB situation beyond this week, contrary to speculation from Bleacher Report based on “anonymous sources.”
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 2, 2015
