Peyton Manning led the Denver Broncos to the best record in the AFC and won the Comeback Player of the Year Award, but if things had not gone so well for Manning, John Elway had a backup plan. When the Broncos signed Manning, Elway said that there was no plan B, but Elway admitted that rookie Brock Osweiler had been his backup plan if things went wrong.
John Elway: Brock Osweiler was secret ‘Plan B’ after Peyton Manning’
John Elway explains his reasoning behind selecting Brock Osweiler in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, mentioning that Osweiler was the backup plan if things didn’t work out with Peyton Manning.
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Elway was criticized for using a second-round pick on the quarterback out of Arizona State in 2012 after signing Manning, but he recently explained his reasoning. “No. 1, we didn’t have a backup and No. 2, it wasn’t exactly a sure thing with Peyton coming back,” Elway said. He went on to explain that Osweiler served three purposes for the Broncos, as the quarterback of the future, as a starter if something went wrong with Manning, and as a young guy who could learn from one of the greatest QBs of all-time.
“To me it was a perfect scenario. With the importance of that position, you never waste one. Plus, we liked him a lot. And having been with him a year, we like him even more,” Elway added.
Osweiler only attempted four passes his rookie year, but the Broncos are confident in his role on the team and will not be looking to add any quarterbacks to the roster this offseason.
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