John Elway shoots down Peyton Manning rumor with a quickness

Rumors are just that until the Duke of Denver takes to Twitter to shoot them down.

For the second time this season, Bleacher Report is just plain wrong, says Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway. B/R “reported” this morning that Manning doesn’t want to play second fiddle to fourth-year quarterback Brock Osweiler; it hasn’t been said.

Peyton has never told Gary or myself that he doesn't want to be the backup. Any report or rumor that suggests otherwise is incorrect!!

— John Elway (@johnelway) December 20, 2015

Three weeks ago, the site said Osweiler would start the rest of the season ahead of Manning, which was shot down by the team as well as our sources within the organization.

Look, it seems likely Manning doesn’t want to backup Osweiler; No. 18 is an 18-year veteran and a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer. But, Manning is also a team-first guy and willing to do what it takes to help his team win.

After working back into practice this week, doing well on Wednesday and Thursday, Manning sat out on Friday due to soreness in his injured left foot. No timetable is set for his return, though head coach Gary Kubiak said a month ago the job is Manning’s when he’s healthy.

Simply, Osweiler’s done well as a game manager but the man who gives the Broncos their best chance to win in the playoffs is the one with all the experience, Manning.

Later today, the 10-3 Broncos face the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5). The game kicks off at 2:25 p.m. MT.