Peyton Manning has until March 9, when his 2016 salary is guaranteed, to decide on his future. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)
Peyton Manning refused to divulge his future plans, but his most recent comments will surely be dissected for any clues.
Manning was the keynote speaker for The Florida Forum’s fundraising event for Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., on Wednesday. And although he acknowledged his looming decision, he, in typical Manning fashion, served up a few jokes instead of a real answer:
Peyton: ‘Many have heard I have a significant announcement to make, so I thought I’d make it here… Papa Johns is offering 50 percent off.’
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington)
NFL Network’s made the trip to Florida and shelled out $100 to sit in on his speech and provide live play-by-play for the Twitter-watching world (guilty).
The highlights:
Peyton says ‘it was absolutely excruciating’ to watch a game on TV this year; says he’d watch with sound muted so he didn’t hear commentary.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington)
Peyton Manning: ‘If you’re going to be a strong leader, have the audacity to believe there’s something more in your reach.’
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington)
What does Omaha mean? ‘Omaha was originally a word an o-line coach used as a trigger word to let linemen know ball was about to be snapped.’
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington)
Peyton Manning says he has received two awards from the Omaha Chambers of Commerce in the last year.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington)
Peyton says he’s not sure about post-football career: ‘Hard to say. One reason I’ve enjoyed my current job so much is, I’ve been all in.’
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington)
Manning, who is also scheduled in Las Vegas as part of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) 2016 conference, must give the Broncos word before March 9, when the 2016 season begins and his $19 million salary is guaranteed.
Returning to Denver, however, is unlikely, if there’s a chance at all. As The Post’s Troy Renck reported Wednesday evening, the Broncos have made it clear they want Brock Osweiler to return and .
And so we wait.
