Elway pitches Manning on Mile High City
Free-agent quarterback begins tour of facilities, teams
Peyton Manning spent the day on Tim Tebow’s turf, meeting for nearly six hours with the Denver Broncos on Day 1 of his free-agent tour of the NFL.
Two days after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, Manning got the star treatment Friday in the Mile High City — flown to town on a chartered plane from Miami and spending the day with Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who also serves as Denver’s vicepresident of football operations.
They spent the afternoon and early evening together; coach John Fox and general manager Brian Xanders were along, too, as Manning took a tour of the complex.
When he left after the marathon meeting, Manning didn’t talk to reporters and jumped into the same silver SUV he arrived in, then was whisked away.
His next stop? There are more than a half-dozen other suitors, with Arizona and Miami among those expressing interest.
But spending the first day in Denver certainly made for some entertaining conversation. This is a city wrapped up in the debate over whether Tebow is a long-term solution at quarterback or just a feel-good story for a season. The mere fact the Broncos had Manning in for a visit might speak volumes about which way they’re leaning.
As news of Manning’s arrival spread — with reporters and TV helicopters hovering over every inch of the Broncos facility — a handful of fans started making their way to the training facility.
“Let’s do it, Peyton!” one of them yelled through a gate upon spotting the NFL’S marquee free agent. Manning glanced over and gave a quick wave.
“Peyton Manning is a terrific leader. He’s phenomenal to watch,” said Graham Millar, a lifelong Colts fan who now lives in Aurora, Colo. “You feel like you’re watching a psychic. But it’s preparation. He knows exactly what to expect from every single player on that field.”
According to The Denver Post, the Broncos sent a plane to pick up Manning in South Florida, where he has a condo. He had traveled there after an emotional news conference in Indianapolis on Wednesday, when he said goodbye to the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 1998 and he led to the 2007 Super Bowl championship.
The plane then stopped in Stillwater, Okla., where Elway, Fox and Xanders were watching Oklahoma State’s pro day. The Broncos management met up with Manning, and everyone flew back to Denver.
ESP NEWS carried live coverage of the flight arriving at an airport in Denver, then also followed Manning’s car ride to Broncos team headquarters. While Manning met with Elway and Co., inside the building, a blue helicopter hovered overhead outside. And this was only the start.
Arizona, Miami, Kansas City, Seattle, Tennessee and Washington are among the other possible destinations, as Manning becomes one of the most coveted free agents in the history of the league, even though he turns 36 later this month and is coming off a series of neck operations.