Moments after we noted that the Broncos’ plane is on the way to North Carolina, where Peyton Manning has been working out, we know why: John Elway will be there in person to watch one of Manning’s workouts.
From the beginning, it has seemed like a necessity that whatever team wanted to sign Manning would have to watch him throw first: After all, how can a team tie its future to a quarterback without making sure he can actually throw a football effectively? Surprisingly, several reports have said that multiple teams were willing to give Manning a contract without making him throw first.
But the Broncos apparently won’t be in that position. Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that Elway and other Broncos officials will land at the Raleigh-Durham Airport at 1:20 p.m. today, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that Manning will work out for the Broncos at Duke University’s indoor facility.
That doesn’t mean the Broncos are going to land Manning. In fact, according to Mortensen, the Titans are still in the mix. But this is the strongest sign yet of progress between the Broncos and this year’s most sought-after free agent.