Yes, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has spoken to free-agent quarterback Johnny Manziel. No, the Broncos have no plans to sign him.
ESPN has reported that Kubiak has spoken to Manziel regarding the potential fit between Manziel and the defending Super Bowl champions. Mike Klis of 9News.com in Denver has reported — and PFT has confirmed — that the Broncos have no plans to sign Manziel. As Klis has reported, and PFT has confirmed, the Broncos have not even discussed signing Manziel.
So why did Kubiak and Manziel speak? Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the communication arose from the fact that both men played college football at Texas A&M. Also, the conversation occurred at or about the time that the Browns cut Manziel, not recently.
On one hand, the Broncos should embrace the perception that Manziel is a viable candidate to join the team, given that this could break the lingering three-way game of chicken over whether quarterback Colin Kaepernick will take less money, and whether the 49ers will pay part of his fully-guaranteed salary to facilitate a deal. On the other hand, the Broncos realize that Manziel currently is a long way from being ready to play in the NFL. He has a pending criminal case in Dallas, where an indictment for domestic assault could be coming. Also, he continues to live a public lifestyle that feeds the impression that he needs to return to rehab, where he spent 10 weeks in 2015.
If Manziel gets the off-field allegation behind him and otherwise cleans up his act, the plans of the Broncos (and possibly other teams, like the Cowboys) could change. For now, the Broncos have no interest in Manziel and no plan to sign him.
As Klis puts it, not even a resolution of Manziel’s pending issues will change things. “Johnny Football won’t be a Bronco,” Klis says.