Manning, who struggled with a quadriceps injury toward the end of last season, thought about retirement after the Broncos’ playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts.. Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos and Houston Texans have denied reports that they briefly entertained the idea of a trade involving quarterback Peyton Manning.
Two radio stations — 94.1 FM Denver and SportsRadio 610 in Houston — reported that the teams engaged in brief discussions before Manning agreed in March to take a pay cut to stay in Denver. His salary dropped from $19 million to $15 million, with the balance available in playoff-based incentives.
The Texans ended up signing Brian Hoyer to compete against Ryan Mallett.
On Tuesday night, 94.1 FM Denver host Benjamin Allbright said the Broncos — now coached by former Houston coach Gary Kubiak — initiated talks because some in the Broncos’ organization wanted to hand the QB job to Brock Osweiler, the team’s 2012 second-round pick.
The Broncos, including general manager John Elway, emphatically denied the report, and Texans sources also told the Houston Chronicle that it was not true.
SportsRadio 610 reported on Wednesday that a source said the teams had “very preliminary” talks.
When Manning signed his restructed deal in early March, Elway said, “Glad that we can move on, glad that Peyton’s going to be part of this team and hopefully win a championship next year. I think this time of the offseason is tough for everybody. It’s a tough part of the business and the time of the year we’ve got to put the best football team together that we possibly can, so we’re glad Peyton’s going to be a part of that.”
Manning, who struggled with a quadriceps injury toward the end of last season, thought about retirement after the Broncos’ playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
On Feb. 12, Manning flew back to Denver and met with Elway and several other team officials, telling them that he is in good health and will be ready to play for Kubiak.
Manning is coming off his second-best season in terms of passing yards (4,727) and third-best in passing touchdowns (39). He also had 15 interceptions in 2014. In his three seasons with the Broncos, Manning has totaled 132 touchdowns (131 passing, one rushing) and 14,863 passing yards and an average passer rating of 107.8.
Denver has gone 38-10 with Manning under center and won three consecutive AFC West titles and one AFC championship.
