A little over a month removed from the Denver Broncos’ playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning has notified Broncos vice president of football operations, John Elway; chief operating officer, Joe Ellis; and staff that he is physically and mentally capable and prepared to play in 2015 according to multiple reports.
Manning, who will turn 39 in March, consulted fitness expert Mackie Shilstone, whose evaluations cleared the quarterback from his debilitating quad injury suffered through the 2014 season. Despite Manning’s confidence to play, there are still a number of variables that both he and the Broncos must consider.
For Manning, much has changed since the proverbial wheels came off during the divisional round of the playoffs. Provided he returns in 2015, Manning will have a new head coach and offensive coordinator. Former Broncos offensive coordinator and Mike Shanahan disciple, Gary Kubiak, will help forge a new offensive identity for the Broncos. His patented zone blocking scheme suggests the Broncos are preparing for life after Manning and a shift away from the passing game. There is also the anticipation that the roster will lose some of its venom with both Damaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas set to enter free agency and Wes Welker considering retirement. However the chips fall come free agency, it remains unlikely that Manning will be surrounded by the same cast he was last season.
For the Broncos, they must consider the volatility of Manning’s health moving forward. While Manning may by cleared of the quad injury that handicapped his performance late in the year, there is no telling how the nagging injuries will affect his play throughout the course of next season. The Broncos will also have to be content paying Manning $19 million come the start of the new league year in March, meaning they will have fewer dollars to address the profusion of players from their roster entering free agency.
Looking on the bright side, even with a projected Manning return to the roster, the team will still have roughly $23 million of free cap (according to spotrac.com). Even with big names like Damaryius and Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, and Rahim Moore set to enter free agency, the team can still realistically retain at least some of its own and fill gaps as needed.
Ultimately, the climate has to be right for both sides to align for a Super Bowl run next season. As apropos as a loss to Andrew Luck’s Colts would have been for a Manning send off, his and the Broncos' envision of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy would be an even better one.