…and the Peyton Manning recruiting adventure continues! Â As everyone should know by now, Peyton and The Colts have gone their separate ways! Â While as many as 12 teams prepare an attempt to grab up the All-Star QB, the most recent team to meet with Manning is John Elway’s Denver Broncos. Â Check the jump for the full story!
@DJMatthewTyler x Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Manning met for nearly six hours with Denver on Friday, then left the team’s facility without speaking with reporters.
About 48 hours after being released by the Colts Manning met with Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway, and coach John Fox. The three chatted while taking a tour of the team’s practice field and heading to the weight room.
They spent several hours together before the four-time MVP departed.
According to The Denver Post, the Broncos sent a plane to pick up Manning in South Florida, where he has a condo. He had traveled there after an emotional news conference in Indianapolis on Wednesday, when he said goodbye to the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998 and led to the 2007 Super Bowl championship.
As news of Manning’s arrival spread — with reporters and TV helicopters hovering over every inch of the Broncos facility — a handful of fans started making their way to the training facility.
“Let’s do it, Peyton!” one of them yelled through a gate upon spotting the NFL’s marquee free agent. Manning glanced over and gave a quick wave.
Across the parking lot, one fan with an Elway jersey, another with a Tim Tebow jersey and a few more with Manning’s iconic Colts No. 18 showed up.
Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen the visit does not make the Broncos the favorite to land the four-time MVP. In fact, other teams are starting to be aggressive in expressing their interest in Manning.
No contract negotiations were expected to occur during the Denver visit, first reported by The Denver Post. Manning did not work out for the Broncos, but wanted to familiarize himself with the team’s facilities, organization and geography.
Arizona, Miami, Kansas City, Seattle, Tennessee and Washington are among the other possible destinations, as Manning becomes one of the most coveted free agents in the history of the league, even though he turns 36 later this month and is coming off a series of neck operations. He missed all of last season, and the Colts decided to cut ties rather than pay a $28 million bonus that was due this week.
It’s not often that teams get a chance to sign a quarterback who has thrown for more than 50,000 yards and nearly 400 touchdowns, been picked for 11 Pro Bowls, and been a Super Bowl MVP. Manning’s importance to the Colts’ success was never more apparent than last season, when their record plummeted to 2-14 without him.
Because he was released and went on the waiver wire Wednesday, Manning is allowed to negotiate and sign with any club immediately; he does not need to wait until the free-agent period that begins Tuesday.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt confirmed in an interview with NBC Sports Network that was scheduled to air Friday evening that his team is pursuing Manning.
“I don’t know how important money will be to him, but I’m sure it will be part of the equation,” Hunt said. “He’s going to be looking for an environment that he’s comfortable in.”
He declined to say whether the Chiefs already have offered Manning a contract.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to talk about discussions at this point,” Hunt said, “but he is somebody that we’ll want to talk to.”
Source Huffington Post / ESPN
