INDIANAPOLIS — Heavy is the head that wears the crown in the NFL, but Denver Broncos vice president and general manager John Elway is enjoying the added weight. That could change in the coming days.
There are hefty decisions looming in Denver. As Elway addressed the media at Lucas Oil Stadium, the clock was ticking down from 12 days until the new league year frees quarterback Brock Osweiler to the open market with outside linebacker Von Miller ticketed for free agency and Peyton Manning contemplating retirement.
“We’re going to give Peyton the time that Peyton deserves, because of 18 years and he deserves that,” Elway said. “We’re going to respect the fact and give him the time. There is not an answer there yet.”
Elway attempted to change the conversation away from his quarterbacks but was peppered with hypotheticals for most of his 15 minutes at the podium. Elway first claimed that the decisions of Osweiler and Manning were not intertwined, but he did allow that Osweiler might want to know which direction Manning was leaning.
“I haven’t talked to Brock yet. I would think that that’s something Brock would want to know,” Elway said.
The 39-year-old Manning battled injuries and missed six games in 2015 after also encountering health issues late in the 2014 regular season. Osweiler made his first career start in a victory in November at Chicago but was replaced Week 17 by Manning and for the three-game postseason run to the Super Bowl.
“I think that the sample size we got from Brock we’re excited about what we saw,” Elway said. “The seven games he started, the strides he made. He’s a tough guy. He’s a guy who will stand in there. He can make the throws. Obviously, you’d like to see more consistency.”
Elway echoed what coach Gary Kubiak said Wednesday: Osweiler knows where the Broncos stand in terms of a contract offer and talks will likely not continue until Manning and Elway reconvene. Elway said Thursday it would likely be a week to 10 days.
“Peyton is the same old Peyton that he was,” Elway said. “It’s going to come down to what does Peyton want to do. Does he want to take on the grind again? We’re really not in a hurry. Everything is still fluid. We’re not in any rush. There’s 12 days. We don’t feel like we’re in a rush there.”
Elway said the Broncos don’t need a Manning decision to forge ahead in talks with Miller and defensive tackle Malik Jackson. Miller could command a deal that puts him in the range of Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, the NFL’s highest-paid defenders. Both have deals worth more than $100 million.
“We’re in discussions with Von. We’ve exchanged some offers. We’ll continue to meet. We’ll meet with his representatives. We feel real good about it,” Elway said.