Denver Broncos Rumors: Peyton Manning Ready To Play For Broncos Sunday


Denver Broncos rumors indicate Peyton Manning is ready to play on Sunday, January 3. These Denver Broncos rumors come after weeks of speculation about what the team would do when Manning became healthy enough to play again. A report from CBS Sports states that Brock Osweiler will remain the starting quarterback and that Manning is in line to serve as the backup. That’s a big step forward for Manning, even though he isn’t taking Osweiler’s job just yet.

Manning started the first nine games for the Broncos this season but wasn’t putting up very good numbers. Manning completed 59.9 percent of his passes and threw for 2,180 yards in those nine game. He only had nine touchdown passes and 17 interceptions, though, showing that he wasn’t taking care of the ball very well. As Week 17 of the NFL season approaches, Manning still leads the league in interceptions, despite playing in only nine games.

There were a lot of Denver Broncos rumors about the team possibly replacing Peyton Manning with Brock Osweiler before the Week 10 game. When it was revealed that Manning would miss some time due to injury, it made the decision that much easier for the front office in Denver. In the seven games that Osweiler has played in (six starts) this season, he has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards. Osweiler also has nine touchdown passes and just four interceptions on his resume. Those numbers will keep him as the starting quarterback in Week 17.

Osweiler Beats Bengals
[Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images]

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, there is still a lot for the Broncos to play for in Week 17. The team can emerge from the week with a No. 2 seed a first-round bye or the No. 6 seed and a wild card game next week. There is even a chance for the Broncos to take the No. 1 seed away from the New England Patriots. If the Patriots lose to the Miami Dolphins and the Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers, then Denver takes the top seed in the AFC Playoffs and controls home field advantage throughout the postseason.

The alternative scenario is that the Broncos could slide to the No. 6 seed if the team loses to the Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders. In that scenario, the Chiefs would win the AFC West and the Broncos would drop into a wild card spot. Currently, the Chiefs are the No. 5 seed in the AFC and will remain there they win and the Broncos also win on Sunday. If the Broncos and Chiefs both lose, then Denver could drop to the No. 3 seed if the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens.

The Week 17 game between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers will certainly put a lot of pressure on starting quarterback Brock Osweiler. With Peyton Manning cleared to play again and slated as the backup, it might mean that Osweiler has a short leash on Sunday. Any early mistakes could lead to the crowd chanting for the return of Manning or the coaches beginning to second-think their decision in the first place. This is Osweiler’s team now, but the team hasn’t been faced with a real choice until now.

Broncos Beat Bengals
[Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images]

Game time for the Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers is 1:25 p.m. PT on Sunday, January 3. When the two teams faced off in Week 13, the Broncos won 17-3 on the road. The defense completely controlled the game for the Broncos, and there is a strong expectation among NFL analysts that it could happen in the rematch as well. No matter how this Week 17 game turns out, there are likely to be many Denver Broncos rumors about whether Brock Osweiler or Peyton Manning should be the starting quarterback in the playoffs.

[Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images]

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