John Elway Refutes Report That Says Peyton Manning Doesn't Want to Be Backup

Initial statement made earlier on NFL Network.

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John Elway left the game a few years before he had to and because of that he finished his career with the prototypical Hollywood ending. Peyton Manning has gone the opposite (and more common) route, staying until his body gets beaten down to the point where he's a fraction of the player he once was, and it gets somewhat depressing watching him try to recoup his prime in a sport that rewards youth. Things have gotten so bad that it would appear he'll be Brock Osweiler's backup if/when he's ready to retake the field. After 18 years of starting, that was unlikely to be an easy transition, and a report on NFL Network earlier today stated what most of us already assumed, that Peyton doesn't want to be the backup when he's healthy again (which is a relative term in his case). That report, from the Network's Ian Rapoport, stated:

"It is a trying time for Peyton Manning, who has always been a starter his entire career. It does not sound like he is inclined to be Brock Osweiler's backup. That is one issue and one I'm told he's pretty serious about."

After hearing about this report Elway, the Broncos GM, took to his Twitter account to refute it, even though it appears he was responding to it incorrectly as it never stated Manning took his insistence to start to the team's brass:

Afterward Rapoport stuck to his statement, though it likely won't ever come in to play unless the 39-year-old's duct-taped-together-body heals in time to force coach Gary Kubiak to name a starter. No matter which QB (and both have kind of sucked) is taking first team reps the team will have a fighter's chance so long as they don't sustain any more injuries to their No. 1 rated defense.

[via Pro Football Talk]

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