As major question remain regarding whether Peyton Manning will play again in 2015, a separate question has emerged regarding whether he will play in 2016.
As reported on Sunday night’s edition of NBC’s Football Night in America, Peyton currently intends to play next season, even if he’s not playing for the Broncos. And as a separate source told PFT on Monday, Manning has told teammates that he wants to play next year.
It’s not known whether Peyton has said to current Denver teammates that he’d play for another team in 2016. And it’s hardly a definite that he will play. The Broncos presumably won’t want to pay Manning the $19 million he’s due to make in the final season of his five-year deal.
Would they offer to pay less? Would someone else pay more than what the Broncos would offer?
How little would Manning be willing to take to play another year? Ten million? Eight? Six?
Then comes the question of whether another team would be willing to let him run whatever offense he wants to run; indeed, the new offense installed by Gary Kubiak seems to be one of the reasons for Manning’s struggles in 2015.
Much will need to be resolved after the current season ends. Regardless, the current plan is to play next year.
On Monday, Kubiak threw water on the report regarding Manning’s intentions for 2016.
“I can just tell you for there to be any rumors or anything he said that his mindset is anywhere other than getting healthy and helping this football team, I can tell you is totally false,” Kubiak said. “I visit with this guy on a regular basis and we talk all the time. I can tell you his mindset is a day at a time trying to get healthy and all those things and help his football [team]. That’s all he talks to me about. That’s all that’s important to him right now. That’s disappointing. There are going to be things out there and things said, but I know what’s going on. I know how hard he is working to get back and help his football team.”
Why would it be disappointing that a guy who is obsessed (and he is) with getting healthy enough to play in 2015 would be intent on playing in 2016? The normal human brain is capable of maintaining both desires simultaneously. Peyton’s advanced brain (not sarcasm) easily can handle those tasks.
Kubiak, for example, presumably is focused completely and entirely on coaching the team in 2015. He also presumably intends to coach in 2016, and that plan presumably doesn’t dilute his ability to focus on 2015.