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Reports: Peyton Manning Headed To The Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning, who may soon trade that Colts blue for Broncos red.
Rob Carr
/
Getty Images
Peyton Manning, who may soon trade that Colts blue for Broncos red.

Peyton Manning, one of the two or three best quarterbacks in recent years and one of the greatest ever, is close to signing a contract to play for the NFL's Denver Broncos, according to multiple reports.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter say the deal is done "barring a snag during intensified contract negotiations" between the team and Manning's agent, Tom Condon. They cite "multiple sources."

NFL.com says that "Manning is finalizing a contract" with the Broncos, according to a "league source."

And the Denver Post's headline says it all: "Peyton Picks Broncos." It reports that:

"Peyton Manning called John Elway this morning and told him the Broncos are his choice and he wants to start exclusive negotiations with the team, according to an NFL source."

Elway, of course, is the Hall of Fame former Broncos quarterback who is now the team's vice president of football operations.

In 13 active seasons with the Indianapolis Costs, Manning won one Super Bowl, two AFC championships and was league MVP four times..

If Manning, who parted ways with Indianapolis earlier this month after sitting out last season due to injuries, does join Denver that raises a logical question: What happens to Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, who created such a buzz last season?

The Post says "it's possible the Broncos could keep Tebow and use him in goal-line packages. Or the Broncos could conclude there's not a big enough tent to handle the circus of both Tebow and Manning. In that case, the Broncos would attempt to trade Tebow before the late-April draft."

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.