Along with owner Pat Bowlen and VP of football operations John Elway, Peyton Manning met with the media on Tuesday afternoon where he was officially introduced as the next Denver Broncos quarterback. Manning covered a lot of ground in the press conference on where he stands medically, his role in the Broncos offense and, of course, some Tim Tebow talk.
Peyton Manning On His Health, Broncos Offense And Tim Tebow
A few highlights of Tuesday’s news conference:
Manning said he won’t be the offensive coordinator for the Broncos. Manning is known for having total control of his offenses in Indianapolis so some wondered how much control he would have of the offense in Denver. He may not be the offensive coordinator but I’m sure he’ll have plenty of input.
The doctors feel “encouraged” with where he is. He said he’s staying in Denver this week and will meet with the Broncos training staff immediately after the press conference. OTAs don’t start for a couple of months so there’s time for rehab. Manning did say that he could play in a game as soon as this week if he had to. He may not play as well as he wants as his arm strength continues to develop but from a medical perspective he’s healthy enough to play.
Manning didn’t talk about Tim Tebow with the Broncos. He said his conversations with the Broncos did not include anything about Tim Tebow, who will likely be traded as a result of the move for Manning. He said if Tebow were on the team next year he would be a great teammate. But he also said there are “decisions to be made” when talking about Tebow so I think he realizes what the likely scenario is. He has not talked to Tebow yet.
Manning said he had some interest in NFC teams but he’s glad to remain in the AFC. “I’m proud to be in the AFC still,” Manning said. “I’ve always been an AFC guy.” There were reports that he preferred the AFC over the NFC, perhaps because his brother, Eli, is in the NFC.
Manning said this is a “now” situation. As in, the Broncos are ready to win now. That’s pretty obvious when you add a guy like Manning. If he’s healthy, the Broncos wouldn’t surprise many people if they represented the AFC in the Super Bowl.
For more on the decision, visit SB Nation’s Broncos blog, Mile High Report. And for more on Denver sports, check out SB Nation Denver.
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