Peyton Manning Rumors: Denver Broncos May Cut Manning So He Can Keep Playing

Peyton Manning rumors have taken another turn. The Denver Broncos may be done with Peyton Manning, but the former NFL MVP may not be done playing in the league. A report from CBS Sports on Tuesday, March 1, shines some light on Manning possibly returning for the 2016 NFL season with a different franchise. This contradicts many previous stories about Manning possibly retiring and going out as a Super Bowl champion with the Broncos.

This new information on Peyton Manning comes from NFL analyst Adam Schefter, who appeared on Tuesday’s episode of Mike & Mike on ESPN. When asked about when Manning plans to announce his retirement, Schefter noted that Manning wants to keep playing in the NFL. The only question becomes whether Manning can find a job as a starting quarterback during the 2016 NFL offseason. Schefter spoke at-length about the entire situation.

“He’d like to keep playing. In a perfect world, he’d like to keep playing. The question is who’s going to give him an opportunity. And it’s tough to identify that team right now that’s willing to sign him to the deal that makes it worthwhile for him, that allows him to continue playing.”

“Does he want to go move to another city? Because I think everybody at this point accepts and understands that he’s not going to be back in Denver. So the question is where does he go and play. It’s not going to be the Houston Texans. It’s probably not going to be the Los Angeles Rams. So you go find a team that would be willing to sign him.”

Peyton Manning rumors have been floating around this the final snap of the Super Bowl. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, a rumor about Manning had stated that he informed the Denver Broncos of his pending retirement. That Manning rumor went on to state that within a week he would be making the official retirement announcement and that he would be “heading off into the sunset.” These new Manning rumors completely contradict any thoughts of retirement.

What some NFL fans are seeing here is a “Brett Favre situation” with Peyton Manning. How he wants to keep playing, despite many rumors floating around that he is heading into retirement. A reality is that Manning is still under contract with the Denver Broncos for one more season. The Broncos owe Manning $19 million in salary for the 2016 NFL season if he is still on the roster March 9. By cutting Manning, the Broncos would get out of paying that salary. It would also make Manning a free agent.

The Broncos don’t have a quarterback on the roster for the 2016 NFL season, leaving some serious questions about what the team will do during the offseason. It’s possible that the front office could look to retain Peyton Manning if he agrees to take a pay cut. With quite a few moves to make in the offseason, including finding a new backup quarterback and giving Von Miller a big payday, the Broncos aren’t in a position to pay a starting quarterback nearly $19 million in salary. But would Manning want to take a pay cut at this point of his NFL career?

There are going to be many more Peyton Manning rumors until he actually steps in front of a microphone and talks about his plans. It is very likely that a spot on television is waiting for him once he does decide to officially retire from the NFL and it’s also possible that he could look to work in the front office of a franchise. What Manning has to decide is if he really has thrown his last pass in the league. Could Peyton Manning simply return to the Denver Broncos and lead the team to another Super Bowl?

[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]