Denver Broncos Rumors: Peyton Manning Planning To Return, But Team May Not Want Him

The Denver Broncos are rumored to be wavering on whether bring Peyton Manning back next season, with sources close to the team saying his mounting injury problems may scare the Broncos off.

Manning has still not announced whether he is coming back, but sources say he is working with doctors to evaluate his surgically repaired neck and the thigh injury that impacted his play down the stretch this season. Though there were some initial indications that Manning was wavering on his decision, it now appears that he is planning on returning to the Denver Broncos.

But both Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos have been strangely quiet on the matter. At the end of January, Manning indicated that he would announce his decision soon, but since then there has been no announcement.

“I’m not interested in making this a lingering thing,” Manning said at the time.

“I’d like to make a decision soon. At the same time, both coach and Joe and John have instructed me to take some time, so I’m kind of following their orders.”

Now new rumors may indicate why the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning have been so quiet on the matter — the Broncos may not want him back at all.

Bleacher Report‘s Jason Cole said this week that the Broncos may be fearful that injuries have caught up with Manning, who seemed to have lost a step as the year went on. As Cole noted, sources close to the team are saying the Broncos may look for a reason to fail Manning’s required physical.

“At this point in his career, the Broncos could fail Peyton Manning for any reason, including the four neck surgeries that he has already had,” he said Tuesday in a video on Bleacher Report.

“In talking to sources close to the team, there’s a big question here about whether the Broncos want to bring him back for one more year. They’re going to have to feel very comfortable about this.”

If the rumors are true, the Denver Broncos may not have to go far to replace Peyton Manning. The team is high on backup Brock Osweiler, with some believing he will see more playing time this year even if Manning happens to return.