Lunch Special: Did the Broncos upgrade enough to contend with the Chiefs? By Mark Kiszla Denver Post June 23, 2020 Denver Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla answered questions about all things Colorado sports in a live chat on Monday. Here are the highlights. As you look at the Broncos on paper as it stands, what do you think is their biggest, glaring weakness heading into the season? Kiszla: The Broncos have one big weakness and one big concern. The big concern is the offensive line. The player on the hottest seat is tackle Garett Bolles. And even if he makes a step forward, how will the rest of this line mesh? Which leads me to the big concern. We don’t know how NFL training camps will look in the age of coronavirus. We don’t know how consistently the virus will allow teams to work, or if outbreaks might cause cancellations of exhibition games or practices. The Broncos have a lot of new faces, many of them young, on offense. There’s promising talent. But this is a unit that needs time and reps to gel. The team has high hopes for rookie center Lloyd Cushenberry. But can he get up to speed to be an effective starter, given the limitations on on-field work that have already been imposed by the pandemic? OK, if you back me up I get to pick the restaurant that I am going to take my significant other to, but if you don’t I will be eating sushi. So, I do think that the Broncos are almost even now with the Chiefs. I do not think they will win the division, but I do think we will win at least one of the games against them year. My S.O. thinks I am off my rocker. Now back me up or else I am eating fish bait tonight. Kiszla: Mark Kiszla, marriage mediator. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? We’ll discuss my hourly fees later (when the bill arrives). For now, let’s talk about your dinner plans. I’m not going to say you’re off your rocker. Let’s just say: I find tuna sashimi and the volcano rolls to be quite delectable. The Broncos did add meaningful, helpful pieces during the offseason. But they ain’t the Chiefs. Unless Patrick Mahomes get hurt, Denver ain’t close.

Could the Broncos win at home against Kansas City? Well, anything’s possible. But I suggest you fall in line with my viewpoint that the Broncos have a ways to go to play the Chiefs on even terms. Because you know what every good marriage counselor says: Happy wife, happy life. Hi Kiz, do you think the long layoff will help teams that have been together longer, like the Nuggets? And potentially hurt teams that are relatively newer together like the Lakers and Clippers? Kiszla: The long NBA layoff is an advantage to the Nuggets, because Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have played more games together than LeBron James and Anthony Davis? Now I’ve heard some theories in my day … And I don’t want to say your theory is absurd, but … Are you nuts? Talent wins out in the NBA. If the Nuggets and Lakers met in this year’s Western Conference finals (wouldn’t that be cool?) and LeBron and Joker switched uniforms one minute prior to the opening tip, the Nuggets would immediately go for underdogs to favorites in the series, regardless of how many minutes James had ever played with Murray. If somehow there is baseball this year and if somehow this is the first year the Rockies win the NL West … will it count? Kiszla: Well, if my aunt had … Nevermind. Lots of if’s there, my friend. But if the Rockies win the World Series this year, it will not only count, I’ll be in downtown Denver for the parade, wearing my smiley face mask with official plant of Colorado as eyes: the cannabis, of course. Speaking of which … if you really think the Rockies can win it all this season, I’ll have whatever you’re smoking. Oh you’re settling disputes now? OK, weigh in for me. Which sport is better: Beach volleyball or ultimate frisbee? Kiszla: Of course I settle disputes. I was born to settle disputes. Have you ever known me to be wrong?

(No need to answer.) Beach volleyball vs. Utlimate frisbee? That’s not even a question. I’ve had the great good fortune to cover beach volleyball in the Olympics on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. It was one of the best parties I’ve ever attended. It’s like watching someone trying to get up after being gut shot with these sports leagues attempting to restart. For all the people who say we’ve been through worse I’d reply, no we haven’t ever been here before. Have some decency and cancel everything until it’s safe. Kiszla: If we can off the rest of 2020 and could skip forward in a time machine to the start of 2021, I call shotgun. Let’s go! But I do think the NBA has a shot to make the bubble thingy work, even if too many Floridians seem to think wearing a mask is an infringement on their personal freedom instead of a way to practice the golden rule. But college football? I don’t see how that’s going to work. College students don’t study, eat, drink or party in a bubble. How does a college football team avoid a major coronavirus outbreak during the season? I have no idea. Dick Monfort promised the Rockies would win 94 games this year. So at this rate they’ll have to go 94-0 and win the World Series… Kiszla: Well, I’d settle for the Rockies playing 60 games this season, wouldn’t you? I actually think an abbreviated season would be a great thing for our local ballclub. My sunshine scenario: Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado swing hot bats for two months, the young arms in the bullpen never have a chance to get worn out by Coors Field and Bud Black coaxes just enough magic from the starting pitcher to keep Colorado in playoff contention until the final week of a shortened regular season. Kiz, love your spunk. Never stop rattling cages! Landy lives in my neighborhood and we chatted the other day (at an appropriate distance, of course!). He thinks the boys are going to make a serious and deep run at the cup, and I agree. However, it all comes down to goal-tending (duh)! My kingdom for one of our current net minders to channel St. Patrick and “put their balls out on the table” – talk some smack to the JRs of the current day players (and while we’re at it, take their stick and give anyone standing in the crease a little business in the nether region — ah, I miss Roy!). Do you think either Gubby or Frankie have the stones to get the job done (and to develop a swagger/nasty streak that is required to win 16 playoff games)? If I you had to call it, right here, right now, who starts in net for the Avs playoffs run and who finishes? Keep up the good work! Kiszla: Mr. Landeskog is a treasure of Denver sports. He’s a good player, a good man and good in conversation, whether you’re talking the penalty kill or looking for a good book to read. I don’t know who will get the nod in goal, because as Landeskog told me last week, the break has been so long it’s like a whole new season. So does that mean coach Jared Bednar gives Philipp Grubauer a chance to reclaim the

starting job he appear to have lost to Pavel Francouz? I don’t know, but think that’s the way to bet. I like the vibe in the Avs room. These guys know they’re good. But I think they also know that both Grubby and Frankie are probably short of Cup-worthy goalies. What do you feel the strengths and weaknesses are of the Rapids this season? Kiszla: Futbol! You bet! Speaking of betting, I see where the Rapids are listed as 50-1 shots to win the MLS is Back tournament. This team has improved. Kei Kamara isn’t exactly young, but he can still score. Robin Fraser is a huge upgrade on the sideline. And I will love Tim Howard forever, but he was living on reputation while wearing a Colorado kit. But the holes on this roster still seem to be too numerous to think anything more than sneaking into the backend of the playoffs is a reasonable achievement for the Rapids in 2020. Do you think Colin Kaepernick ends up back in the NFL? If so, which team(s) make the most sense? Kiszla: I’m not so certain Colin Kaepernick wants to play football at this point in his life. But if he does return, it would be cool to see him wearing the uniform of the Los Angeles Chargers. Hi Mark, will the Post be sending you to Florida to cover the NBA playoffs? Thanks. Kiszla: I have family in Tampa, and my brother might let me sleep in his garage, which is about a 75-90 minute drive from the Big Mickey Sports Complex outside of Orlando where the NBA is constructing its bubble. But living in my bro’s garage would not qualify me for full access to the bubble. And as I understand it, the cost of media to live and work inside the NBA bubble might be as much as $5,000 per week. If that’s the case, we’re talking only rich Colorado media guys like Vic Lombardi could afford to live in the bubble. You want to start a GoFundMe account on my behalf? I’m not too proud to beg. What do you think happens when a current superstar athlete beats the odds and dies from COVID-19 Kiszla: Well, aren’t you a bucket of sunshine? I’m no doctor or math genius, but the demographic breakdown of the COVID-19 mortality rates suggest it’s crazy unlikely a strong athlete under age 40 without serious underlying conditions will die from the virus. But there are coaches and media members over the age of 60. I fall in that category. The risks for me are greater. I understand that. And accept it. Wish me well.

Former Broncos lineman lands on Pro Football Focus’ one-hit wonders list By Joe Nguyen Denver Post June 23, 2020 A former Broncos tackle landed on Pro Football Focus’ one-year-wonder team, highlighting the top players who only excelled for one season since 2006. Chris Clark, who was a member of the Broncos from 2010-14, earned his spot for his performance in 2013. Clark took over the starting left tackle job in Week 3, replacing All-Pro Ryan Clady, who suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury. He helped the Broncos make a 13-3 regular season run to eventually earn an appearance at Super Bowl XLVIII. “(Clark) didn’t get his chance to start until 2013 with the Broncos — a year that turned out to be the best of his career thus far,” PFF’s Ben Linsey writes. “Clark drew his first start at left tackle in Week 3 and held the job all the way through Denver’s Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks. His 82.1 PFF grade ranked 15th among 74 qualifying tackles on the year, and it came from a well-balanced effort with both run- and pass-blocking grades north of 75.0. Clark has since started in stints with the Broncos, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers, but he has not recorded a PFF grade of 70.0 since 2013.” Another former Denver star also landed on the list. Running Peyton Hillis earned his spot after a strong showing with the Browns in 2010, which helped him become the cover athlete for Madden NFL 12.

Despite last week's virus spike, McManus believes Broncos training camp will start on time By Mike Klis KUSA June 23, 2020 Even with the spike in positive coronavirus cases through the sporting world last week – from Major League Baseball to college football to the NFL – Broncos player rep Brandon McManus believes training camps will open as scheduled on July 28. “Yes, I do,’’ McManus said Monday in a phone call with 9News. Having said that, McManus said there’s a ways to go in a short amount of time to make the camp environment as safe as possible for players and team employees. He was on a player rep call with union leaders last week. “There’s just so many questions that a bunch of guys had on the phone call and they have no answer for them yet,’’ said McManus, the Broncos placekicker for going on his seventh season. “But I think they’re ramping it up.’’ McManus indicated the football world was concerned, but not surprised, by the number of positive COVID-19 tests last week that included Broncos safety Kareem Jackson among many others. “Even when we had a phone call the other day with the union, we knew there would be spikes again,’’ McManus said. “Every state is getting better at testing so it’s inevitable there would be more positive tests as stuff was opening back up. “The question is, what risk do you take it to that’s comfortable for the players and their families and cities or depending on what state, the fans? “We’re just trying to talk through it. The union and the league have a lot of questions to answer in a short amount of time. We’ll see if they can get a better grasp on how to handle everything in the coming weeks.” Several protocol guidelines have already been established. Players will have their lockers spaced out at least one empty locker from each other. With 90 players, some Bronco hopefuls may have to dress over in the fieldhouse. There will be scheduled times, and smaller groups assigned to the weight room and cafeteria. Positional meetings will be spaced, with perhaps the occasional outside gathering. “I think the football will stay football,’’ McManus said. “Some of the concerns some players had was we’re doing all these guidelines through the whole facility, what’s the point of doing this and yet we’re still going to be playing football? Guys will still be hitting each other. “But what they’re trying to do is mitigate as much risk as possible outside of the football contact you’re going to have on the field.’’

One of the keys, McManus said, may be that the league and union are hoping to use a saliva-based coronavirus test that would get quicker results than what has become the standard, nostril-swab test. “I think they’re trying to figure out a way that makes the players feel comfortable with the staff at the facility every day with testing and try to get a saliva-based RNA testing where you could do it almost every day,’’ McManus said. “So, the day you report, you do a test, and then you’d have the results that day and it lets you know whether you can report to training camp the next day. And you do that every day. “It’s not finalized yet, but I think they’re trying to go more to the saliva base, and then also they would test antibodies every couple days which is a blood prick. They’re talking through the saliva test right now.’’

Copters, hoodies and PB&J: Oral history of Peyton Manning’s free agency journey By Nicki Jhabvala, Lindsay Jones and Scott Bordow The Athletic June 23, 2020 On the afternoon of March 7, 2012, Jim Irsay stood behind a podium in Indianapolis to announce, through tears, the Colts’ release of their franchise quarterback. After 14 seasons, four NFL MVP awards, 11 Pro Bowl selections, a Super Bowl victory and Super Bowl MVP award, nearly 55,000 passing yards and 400 touchdowns, Peyton Manning was suddenly — and apprehensively — a free agent. What transpired over the following two weeks was one of the most unique pursuits in history, complete with helicopters, covert meetings, secret workouts and media decoys as Manning set out to find his second NFL home and prove he still had it after four neck surgeries. Manning’s $96 million decision began one of the greatest comebacks in sports and altered the NFL landscape for years to come. But only recently did he, and close to 20 others involved in the chase, recount in detail his whirlwind tour. As a bonus part of The Athletic’s Best of Free Agency Week, we bring you the oral history of Manning’s wild two weeks as a free agent. Peyton Manning: Yeah, well, whirlwind would be an accurate word. Archie Manning: The draft was coming up, and the speculation was already starting about the Colts picking Andrew Luck. At first, I think he thought, “I’m going to try to get well, and I’ll play next year and help Andrew and see what happens.” Peyton: Everything looked like the Colts were probably going to release me, but I was probably a little bit naive. I thought maybe something else will happen. Archie: But he learned politely from Jim Irsay that that’s not going to happen. It became clear to him: If I can play, I need to move on. (Editor’s note: Job titles refer to positions held at the time of the pursuit.) Wednesday, March 7 Archie: He was really worried about how the press conference was going to come out. He went to Indy and took a coat and tie and met with Jim Irsay and said, “Here’s the deal. Here’s what I’m going to say, and here’s what you’re going to say.” Jim was a great owner. He was generous and thoughtful in every way. But Jim wasn’t great sometimes at thinking on his feet, and Peyton wanted to make sure that press conference was done right. And it was a good press conference. Peyton: The day that I had the press conference with the Colts announcing their release of me, that was difficult. To finally realize that you weren’t going to be playing for the team that drafted you, the team that you loved, where you lived, that was a hard day. Archie: As a father, you can tell. You know your son well enough to know that his heart is broken.

Peyton: Right after the press conference, the Colts’ equipment guys, Jon Scott, Sean Sullivan and the security guard, “Tex” (Steve Randall), drove me to the airport. Those guys took great care of me for 14 years, and I was real close to all of them. When my dad got traded to Houston, that was a difficult day for him and the equivalent managers helped him pack his stuff up. The Colts flew me to Miami, where (my wife) Ashley and I and the kids had been during the offseason. My free agency whirlwind frenzy started as soon as I landed on the ground in Miami. Harvey Greene, Dolphins media relations: Peyton had a place down here in South Florida and that is one of the reasons people thought we were one of the teams he would have an interest in. Mike Sherman, Dolphins offensive coordinator: When he got off the plane in Miami, he wasn’t coming to see us. Greene: After he left the Colts and came down here to his condo, he was overrun with media trying to get him, which people said spooked him a little bit. Peyton: Ashley sent me a text as we were taxiing and she said, “Hey, there’s a lot of cameras out here at the airport waiting for you.” I just had to answer a lot of questions at the press conference, and it had been an emotional day, and I didn’t really feel like having to do that again. So, Ashley’s like, “Look, see if you can get a little shuttle ride over to this gas station. We’ll try to dodge these people.” I got this guy, he worked at the airport and had a little shuttle van. I said, “You mind giving me a ride around the other entrance and go to this gas station?” He said, “No problem.” So we pull into that gas station and I’m about to get out of the car and all of a sudden I hear these chopper sounds. There’s a helicopter hovering over us. And Ashley’s like, “Look, I’m going to go this other direction. I’ll tell you where to get dropped off.” So I tell this guy in the shuttle, “Hey, you mind just giving me a ride? My wife’s going to find someplace for us to go to try to shake these people.” And he was like, “I really need to get back to my job at the airport.” I said, “Oh, it’s only going to be just a couple of minutes.” So we finally dodged some of these cars with the cameras, but you can’t lose a helicopter. And now we’re 30 minutes in and this guy, he’s a young kid, he says, “Mr. Manning, I really need to get back to the airport.” And I was like, “Hey, this is a tough deal. I need you to help me.” I realized that we weren’t going to lose them and I just pulled over and stopped. On the side of the road, I did a little impromptu interview. They were very nice, and they wanted to know if the Dolphins were in play and, “Is that why you landed in Miami right away, because you’re about to come down and sign with the Dolphins?” I had to say, “Hey, this is just starting for me. I’m trying to process it, and this is where I’ve been working out.” And so I said, “Hey, since I did that, do you all mind not following me? Can you all call the guy in the helicopter and tell him to go somewhere else?” So they all kind of abided by that. We lost the helicopter. Archie: Peyton knew all the coaches and general managers in the league, and they were calling him. He lined up about six places he was going to go visit. I know San Francisco, Arizona, Tennessee and Denver were on the list. Cooper Manning: There were a lot of factors to consider. Peyton was an AFC guy and wanted to stay in the AFC. There was a comfort zone to playing there.

Mike Munchak, Titans head coach: I called him directly. I think it was the same day that he had his press conference, when he was actually being released. I talked to him that day to let him know our interest in him and that it was real. Peyton: That evening (in Miami), one of the first phone calls that I got — it was significant — was from John Fox. I had known Foxy from playing against him. He had been the head coach in a Pro Bowl for the NFC one year when I was there, and Foxy, what was great about it is that he didn’t call to really talk about Denver. He just called almost like he was checking on me, just saying, “Hey, what a great career in Indianapolis. I know it’s tough and just let me know if you want to talk at some point about the future.” It was nice, and I think that had a lot to do with me setting up my first visit with Denver. John Fox, Broncos head coach: I knew Peyton and I knew that we would have a chance at him. We had a good up-and-coming team; we had talented offensive skill players. Did I think we were going to get him right away? No. But I had his number. I spent 10 years in college coaching, and sometimes in recruiting, you like being the first visit, sometimes you don’t like being the first visit. Friday, March 9 Peyton: I flew out to Denver and had a great visit over there with the Broncos, with John Elway, John Fox. (Offensive coordinator) Mike McCoy was great. (Quarterbacks coach) Adam Gase was a guy that I didn’t know but I had heard about. My close friend Brandon Stokley had played for him. And a good friend of mine, Clyde Christensen, who’s coaching for the Bucs and was with the Colts, knew Adam, so that was a common denominator. Adam and I connected right away. Adam Gase, Broncos quarterbacks coach: I was able to call my friends Frank Reich and Clyde Christensen and say, “What is he like? What is he looking for from coaches?” I wanted to make sure whatever part of the presentation I had to make, I was in line with what he was looking for. Our big selling point was Ryan Clady being the left tackle and the two young receivers. Eric Decker, Broncos wide receiver: Adam Gase sent me a message to come by the facility and meet Peyton. I was excited but definitely nervous. My now-wife drove up with me to the facility and waited in the car as I went inside to introduce myself. I ran into Peyton with Coach Gase in the hallway, and he introduced himself as Peyton Manning like I had no clue who he was. I was in awe but remember how genuine and respectful he was. Gase: Your best bet is to lay out your plan, be honest with him about how you’re thinking. He didn’t need anyone to sit there and stroke him. He just wants to know what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it and how it would work Peyton: We finished the visit and John (Elway) says, “Let’s go get a beer somewhere.” I said, “That sounds good. Now we can just be in a relaxing environment.” And he said, “There are cameras out there waiting again.” So we got all the assistant coaches, he made them wait until like 8 o’clock when it’s time to leave. And about 10 cars left the Broncos’ facility, and it was like the president where you have these decoy cars. You got (Broncos director of special services) Fred Fleming driving this way and Mike McCoy driving this way. And so me and John and (director of player personnel) Matt Russell were in one car, and somehow, we got away. Fox: It was like the presidential limo. You got to make sure you know which one the president is in.

Peyton: I do remember a couple of media telling me that they showed up at another bar, and Fred Fleming was right there at the bar having a beer, and he said, “Y’all picked the wrong car.” Greg Nieto, KDVR-TV reporter: We were just waiting, then all of a sudden we saw sort of a mini caravan and thought, “Well, this is it.” I think my first clue should’ve been that the vehicles that were part of that caravan were pretty nice but not Peyton Manning nice. I can remember literally being parallel with the caravan and being so excited like, “Oh my gosh, we’re nailing this. We’re getting some good stuff.” They pull into a strip mall right before the highway and there’s a bar there called JD’s Bait Shop. A dive bar. We get out, and I didn’t even wait for my photographer. Place is packed. I went into every nook and cranny. I think I even went into the restroom. As soon as I walked out of JD’s, my photographer and I were like, “It was all by design.” We probably should’ve stayed and had a shot, but we reported back to our assignment desk. Peyton: We pulled into Cherry Hills (Country Club) and I remember Elway said, “You can’t wear jeans here. Do you have any other pants?” I said, “No. This all happened so fast. I just packed one little overnight bag. All I got is jeans.” And he said, “That’s OK. It’s a $50 fine. I’ll pay the $50 fine.” And all Russell had on was like an athletic sweatsuit. So it cost John $100 to take us over to have a beer. Fox: That first night we went to Cherry Hills, (we) had John Lynch meet us there. And (Brandon) Stokley. It was about comfort level. Peyton: I had called Stokley. I said, “Hey, you got to come pick me up over here.” And I said, “Hey, no jeans. You can’t wear jeans, all right. It’s a no-jeans rule.” Brandon Stokley, Broncos wide receiver: I was at my house and I got a call. “Hey, come join us.” I was like, “Eh.” I didn’t know John (Elway), I didn’t know John Fox. But I said, “OK.” I didn’t know what to wear. I was panicking and rushing to put something on. Cherry Hills Country Club, that’s a pretty fancy place. Peyton: So I’ll be darned, Stokley shows up in a suit. Stokley: I show up in a full suit and Russell is in a tracksuit, John Fox is in blue jeans and I’m just like, “Wait, what? What is going on?” Peyton: He goes, “I thought you said no jeans.” I said, “Yeah, we’re not supposed to, but I didn’t tell you to wear a suit.” John Lynch, Fox NFL commentator and former Broncos safety: I remember being at a kids’ sports thing, like one of those where you play a baseball game and then you’re all at a pizza place, and I got a call from John (Elway). Everything was so secretive, and it was just out of the blue. “Hey, Johnny Lynch, what are you doing?” “Well, I’m out with my family.” “OK. Hey, we’re going out to dinner, and we’re going to be upstairs at Cherry Hills.”

Peyton: Lynch and I have been friends for a long time. We could have honest conversations, and he, of course, came out here and played. He came over, had a beer. Then Elway and I got off to the side for a little one-on-one. I just had a pretty significant throwing session down at Duke, where I had put on shoulder pads and a helmet for the first time. I had some receivers and I videoed it. It was the first time where I felt like I was at least comfortable showing somebody else this film. Cooper: He was secretive about throwing. He was rebuilding the muscle memory, and he went back to ground zero and started completely over. It was a total rebuild. There were times early on when he couldn’t throw it 10 yards, like, what the hell? Peyton: I wasn’t throwing the same way. And for a while, the only people that I let see me throw were (Duke coach) David Cutcliffe, my dad, Ashley and my brother Eli. Besides that, I was pretty guarded just because I just didn’t look the same. I didn’t feel the same. Cooper: He didn’t want someone to see him in a limited capacity and some breaking story would come out, so he was pretty quiet about it. He kept his circle of trust pretty tight. Peyton: So I pulled out my iPad and watched the throwing session with Elway, and I remember that was a hurdle for me. You’re opening up now, showing somebody who you are and what you look like in this post-injury stage. Lynch: One thing that dawned upon me that night, and I remember saying it to John Fox as we were sitting over there, I said, “There’s very few people in the world who kind of know on a day-in, day-out basis what being Peyton Manning is all about. John Elway is one of them.” There’s just a different level of fame, different level of importance within an organization, and very few people can identify with it. And that’s what I saw that night. I left it thinking, “Well, there’s a good likelihood this is gonna happen.” Saturday, March 10 Peyton: I spend the night (at Stokley’s house). We went and threw the next day at a little park there out by his neighborhood. Stokley: Typical Peyton didn’t want to miss a workout, even on a Saturday morning. So I was like, “Oh yeah, I got a perfect park for us.” So we come down the hill and look over, and there must’ve been 500 kids on the field. A soccer game or lacrosse or something. No Plan B here really, so we started tossing in my driveway, and my wife comes out and says, “We got a decent field in the neighborhood.” It had a little bit more room than my driveway. Peyton: We were looking for choppers, and there were people riding bikes and we were worried they were spies. Stokley: He would just kind of turn his back and put the football under his shirt. It was pretty comical, and I just kept thinking, “You know, there are houses around where people could be looking out wondering, ‘Is that Peyton Manning?'” But nobody ever stopped. Nobody ever said anything. Peyton: His son Cameron came with us and he wanted to wear a Colts No. 18 Manning jersey to support me, and Brandon told him he couldn’t. Telling that to little Cameron, he just didn’t understand it.

Stokley: I’m like, “No. No more questions. Just go put on a different jersey,” and he was like, “Can I wear the Brett Favre jersey?” We’re like, “Yes, perfect, let’s go.” Peyton: While I was in Denver, I had a little lull there before I left. I went over to Mike Shanahan’s house and visited with Mike and Kyle Shanahan, and we sat in their den and watched film. Kyle went over their offense. I was really impressed with Kyle. Mike Shanahan, Redskins head coach: We were very much interested in Peyton at that time. I mean, I followed his career. I know him quite well, so I feel like we had an excellent chance to get him. But knowing that Eli was in the NFC East, it surely wasn’t a slam dunk. Peyton: I had known Mike for a long time, played for him in a Pro Bowl, and we’ve stayed in touch, and so I felt comfortable talking to them. But they had made a trade for the second pick of the draft, which they ended up taking Robert Griffin III. So as soon as they made that trade, even Mike kind of knew that eliminated them. It just wasn’t going to make sense. Kind of like the Colts, they were obviously going to go with a quarterback in the first round. Shanahan: I think Peyton was disappointed. Kyle and I were kind of surprised that he still wanted to meet with us. I can remember talking with Elway one time not too long ago, a few years ago. He said, “Mike, do you realize that Peyton, I think, was going to go to your place? I think he really wanted to go to your place more than our place.” I said, “Really? I didn’t know that.” And that came from John. I knew we were fairly close. Peyton: From there, I flew to Arizona. Ken Whisenhunt (the Cardinals’ head coach) was a guy that I knew from, once again, a Pro Bowl. Wiz is a guy I had stayed in touch with. Frank Reich was their quarterbacks coach. I think I was going to places early that I had a comfort with some of the people. Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals head coach: It just clicked. We came out of (the 2005 Pro Bowl) friends and stayed friends. Peyton: (Seahawks coach) Pete Carroll flew to Denver on the Seahawks’ plane and was at the Denver airport (before I left for Arizona) and he sent me a text. He said, “Hey, I’m out here, would love to come out here and visit.” He was very nice and respectful, and I really tried to be nice and respectful in the same way. I called Pete and said, “Pete, I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. I’m going to honor my commitment to go out to Arizona.” Stokley was killing me about that. “This guy flew all the way here and you won’t even get on a plane to see him?” I said, “Look, this is all new to me.” It kind of takes you back to college recruiting a little bit, but I never had anybody just show up on a plane unannounced and say, “Will you come and get on the plane?” Anyway, the Cardinals pick me up. Whisenhunt: It was crazy. There were a ton of people running around, looking for him. Peyton: I remember (Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill) was there, so I had a visit with him, went to the facility, met with Frank, showed them that iPad, felt comfortable doing that.

Whisenhunt: He grilled everybody, but we were prepared. We had talked about it before he came in. Coaches talk to other coaches, and we did our research on him — what he was like in meeting rooms, what he was like around the team. So we had an idea he was going to ask hard questions, he was going to challenge us on why we did certain things and we weren’t going to be afraid to challenge him on things we felt were important. It was a really good exchange. Rod Graves, Cardinals GM: I think Michael convinced him that we would do everything we could to put a winning product on the field. That other part was that we told him we had the other pieces in place to be a successful team. I thought we did a pretty good job of making that presentation. Whisenhunt: As far as checking the box, we felt good about it. It was exciting. Peyton: I went to dinner with some of the players. I remember Larry Fitzgerald insisted on carrying my luggage. He goes, “No, no, no. Whatever you need, I am here. Whenever you need, you’re not doing anything. Whatever I can do to help.” I said, “Come on now.” Graves: I do remember that I couldn’t have been more impressed with him as a person and the humble nature with which he presented himself. There was no air of arrogance in any way, shape or form. I felt like that was really refreshing. Peyton: I ended up staying at Whisenhunt’s house, kind of the same deal like with Stokley, just, I don’t know, made me feel comfortable. Since those were my first two, I needed to take a breath after that and tried to form some list. Monday, March 12 Peyton: I flew back to Indianapolis and I had to do a physical with the Colts so when teams would call, the Colts’ doctors could say, “Hey, we’ve seen him and this is where he is.” I met those doctors over at my house of all places, in Indianapolis. And at that time, the Dolphins had reached out and I just said, “Look, I’m going back to Duke to work out. I’m not coming back to Miami. I was just down there, and it was kind of a circus.” So I said, “If y’all meet me at the Indianapolis airport, we can find a conference room and we can talk ball then.” So it was (owner) Stephen Ross, Joe Philbin was the head coach, Mike Sherman was there and the quarterbacks coach was Zac Taylor, now the head coach of the Bengals. So, I met with them at an FBO there at Indy. We probably went six, seven hours. Mike Sherman, Dolphins offensive coordinator: The whole thing didn’t make sense to me. Why were we going up to Indianapolis to meet in an airplane hangar? Peyton could not have been more engaging and positive and all the things he is, but it just wasn’t going to happen. I felt that way when we were going up there, and I felt it even more on the way back. And it wasn’t anything about him. He was gung-ho, ready to go, makes you feel like, “Where do I sign?” But if it was going to happen, we would have probably had more time with him down in Miami rather than flying up to Indianapolis and meeting in a hangar. I think trying to generate interest was part of the plan. It was a good visit from a coach’s standpoint but not much from an organizational standpoint because he had other plans, I think. We went back home and said, “What’s next? That ain’t going to happen.”

Peyton: Then Mr. Ross flew me down to Duke from Indianapolis on his plane. I remember he was really proud that he said that the media couldn’t track his plane. He had his tail number blocked because prior to that, (Chris) Mortensen and (Adam) Schefter, hell, they knew where I was going before I knew where I was going. So Mr. Ross said, “Well, they’re not going to be able to track where we’re going.” He was very nice. He was obviously in the recruiting part of it and he said, after football — you know, he was involved in all of these businesses — maybe there was an opportunity when I retired to maybe be involved in some of his businesses. I remember when I decided to go to Denver, I wrote him a note and I said, “Mr. Ross, thank you so much for your time and interest. I only could pick one place and I’m going to sign with Denver. P.S. Is that opportunity to get involved in some of those businesses still on the table?” The answer was no. That was strictly Dolphins-only. But he couldn’t have been nicer. Archie: After about two visits, Peyton called me and he was really struggling. He said, “I don’t know. This is hard. Everybody sounds the same. Everybody sounds good. It all sounds good. I don’t think I’m going to do any more visits. I’m going to go home.” I asked him, “Where’s home?” He said Duke. He could rehab and work out there. David Cutcliffe was his football guy. Peyton: I’m taking these visits, and I’m going to have to sign with the team. I can’t be missing all my workouts. I was starting to make a little progress, but I had a lot of work to do and Cutcliffe was kind of my quarterbacks coach. Cooper: Cut knew more about Peyton than Peyton probably knew about himself. And there was an experience and a trust and lot of confidence in the honest feedback that Cut would give him. Peyton: I finally got down there and after some workouts, I decided that I was comfortable. I was going to work out for a team. I needed to do that. That was a hurdle. When I had been in Denver at Stokley’s house, maybe the day after I visited with Denver and before I went over to see Shanahan, (49ers GM) Trent Baalke came to Stokley’s house and he and I met in Stokley’s basement. Stokley: Yeah, that was interesting. I don’t even know how that came about, honestly. Peyton: I understood that they were trying to decide how interested I was in them because if I wasn’t interested, they didn’t want to come out and say they were interested, right? They had Alex Smith. But they said, “Look, if you’re interested, we’ll come out and do it. But can you give us any feel?” And I said, “I think I would be interested.” Jed York, 49ers owner: I remember what I told him when he asked about the team. And it was, “Look, you’re not going to have to come out here and win games by yourself, where you may have had to do that previously in your career.” … That was part of the selling point: You could be a piece of the offense. You don’t have to be the master of everything and be dominant Day 1. We could help you sort of get your sea legs back. Peyton: Maybe it would be a time to jump and leave the AFC and go somewhere new. So when I got back to Duke, I stayed in touch with Trent and talked to 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, and I said, “Hey, if you

all want to maybe come down here, we can visit, watch some film. And I’m thinking about maybe throwing for you. I’m not guaranteeing I’ll throw for you, but I’m thinking about it.” So they flew into Greensboro, if I recall, which is over an hour away, I think. They were real worried about being tracked. There’s a lot of, like, spy stuff in all this process. Tuesday, March 13 Jim Harbaugh, 49ers coach: It all came about that Jed and Trent wanted us to go to scout Peyton. So we went to Duke — Greg Roman and myself. And my only caveat was that we’ll do it, but I don’t want to do it the way these other teams are doing it with kind of the sideshow, the circus, SUVs pulling in and advertising it. … I’d be hesitant to be a part of that. We’re going to scout a great player, and you ultimately want my opinion, and I’m going to go give it to you. So, yeah, I do want to go watch him. But I just didn’t want to be involved in the circus. Greg Roman, 49ers offensive coordinator: It was, “Let’s just keep this to ourselves. What purpose does it serve to announce this? Where’s the upside?” I think it was just good business, quite frankly. It was investigative. It really was. Peyton: I remember they had one of their security guys, he was on the ground at Duke, and I said, “We’re going to meet at Cutcliffe’s house tomorrow at this time.” Mrs. Cutcliffe, I think she was getting home that night and she said all of a sudden, this guy just showed up at their house, scared the hell out of her, and it was the 49ers’ security guy. This is one of those guys you would not want to mess with. He was a tactical guy. So they came over the next day. We met in Cutcliffe’s basement, we watch film, we talk ball, and I said, “You know what? I’ll throw for you.” You have to do it sometime, right? Harbaugh: It was conversation from Minute 1 when we got out of the car and were walking into (Cutcliffe’s) house. It was flying. I remember being downstairs in the basement, and Peyton was great. It was discussion of all the offenses he knew, the protections and looking for ways we would meld them to ours, the similarities and things like that. The good ideas he had. I don’t even know how long it went. It was one of those where it could have been for hours. It flew by, whatever it was. Peyton Manning: I remember this — I remember weird things — we were leaving to go throw and Mrs. Cutcliffe, who I’ve known forever, just a sweet lady, she said, “Would y’all like anything to eat before you go?” It was one of those when somebody offers you, you kind of get the feel maybe she really didn’t want to make you something to eat, but she felt like she had to offer, that kind of thing. So I was like, “No, thanks, Mrs. Cutcliffe, I’m fine,” and Greg Roman’s like, “I’m fine, Thank you for offering.” And coach Cut’s like, “I’m fine, honey.” And I remember Harbaugh just said, “Yeah, I’ll have a PB&J.” Harbaugh: I always feel like, at least in my mom’s house, when she asks if you want something, she’s offended if you don’t let her make you something. I do love PB&J. Absolutely. Peyton: So he had his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and we went over to Duke. There were some media around Duke. The best thing about Duke, which I didn’t really understand coming from Tennessee, is that it’s a private school. You got to have a key card to get in, and nobody can just pop into the indoor facility. I used to go back to Knoxville and work out, and anybody could just show up. It’s a public facility. At Duke, Cut and I could have intense workouts and not be interrupted. So, we told Coach Harbaugh and Coach Roman that it’s private, but still, there are trees out there and, “Could there be people in the trees?”

Cooper: There was this CIA feel to a football acquisition. … Harbaugh and his coordinator went to his workout and watched from his car. I mean, what can you tell from a car? Peyton: It looked like I was out there just throwing on my own. I remember finally, they said they couldn’t see what they wanted to see. They were like 40 yards away in the car trying to watch this workout. And so they got out and I remember they both had hoodies on. They had (Bill) Belichick-style hoodie sweatshirts watching the workout. Harbaugh: I think I was just wearing my normal stuff, what I always wore. Roman: Somebody might have given us a couple of hoodies, I don’t remember. Peyton: It was good. I remember throwing for them and saying, “What else do you all want to see?” That was kind of a hurdle for me and they were great. Roman: He could make every throw that he needed to make. He was good. It’s amazing how he was able to get himself back into that condition. He definitely didn’t have a cannon, and he was never a drive-it-open kind of guy. He was always (a quarterback who would) anticipate it and throw it to the spot. And he could do that as good as anybody who’s ever done it, so he didn’t need a big arm to do what he had to do. You just had to know that going in. You knew he wasn’t going to be throwing a ton of laser beams. Fox: Did he tell you about playing “Burnout” with Harbaugh? It’s usually played in baseball. The way Peyton explained it to me, it was basically who could throw it the hardest, me or him? Peyton: Jim Harbaugh asked if we could play some catch. I think all this talk about arm strength, he wanted to see it and feel it himself. I remember too, Randy Moss had just worked out for the 49ers, and I said, “Hey, how’d the Moss workout go?” He said, “Oh, he looked great.” He said, “But I threw it to him. I made every throw perfect. He didn’t come out of the break on one route. That was the only throw that we missed.” I thought that was a pretty good line. “Moss looked good, but I threw the ball pretty good, too.” Harbaugh: On the medical side, they were talking about regenerating nerves. There were no “for sures,” but I think everybody kind of felt, “Hey, this is Peyton Manning. He’s going to find a way.” We’re not talking about the average human being. No one could say it was possible to humanly will a nerve to heal. But in my mind, Peyton would find a way. York: That was sort of a debate: Are you going to sign somebody that you may only get two or three years out of? (The doctors) were like, “He can play football. We just can’t tell you how long he can play football.” Harbaugh: The organization was fully in on Peyton Manning coming to the 49ers, and they handled the recruitment and negotiations. It was, “Well, Jed is going to find a way,” which I took to mean that he was going to figure out and it would be zero players we’d lose. Wednesday, March 14 Peyton: The last visit that I took was I flew over there to Nashville. I did a day trip over and back. Munchak: There’s obviously the Tennessee connection, and we played against him all the time in the same division, so (owner Bud Adams) saw him close and personal and thought that this was the opportunity of a lifetime to get a player like him to be part of our organization.

Mike Reinfeldt, Titans senior executive vice president and chief operating officer: It was something that Bud wanted. We had considered it (as a football personnel department) but we were worried about the injury and we thought we were OK at quarterback. Peyton: Munch played with my dad in Houston. So I flew over there to Nashville, I met with Munch, Dowell Loggains was an assistant, Chris Palmer was an assistant. I had a good visit. Munchak: That was another thing that had to be kept really quiet and secretive. People found out about it anyway and were all over our facility and in the streets and wanting to see him and see if he was coming to town and how real was this. We had a great meeting with him, looking at his medical end and also watching tape with him. He wanted to get a good vibe on who he’d be working with and what kind of system we had and our players, just like he did everywhere. The next step was, where can we work out, when can we work out, how do we see him throw? He was kind of in charge of things, the way he wanted to roll, because he understood how to avoid a lot of media so it didn’t take away from what we were all trying to accomplish. Anyway, we decided on that Saturday. Friday, March 16 Peyton: I went back (to Duke) … and that’s when the Broncos came back to Duke for a workout. Gase, Elway, Fox, McCoy — they all came in and I threw for them and it was public. It wasn’t like a secret workout. It was announced that I was going to work out for them. Gase: When we found out we were going to Duke, I was like, “OK, this has got to be good. We’re still alive.” Fox: That was the all-time shit show. We landed, and we were in a van, and we had a helicopter following us on the way to Duke. Somehow, they got our tail number. I think we took (Broncos owner Pat Bowlen’s) jet to get there. They were literally following us on camera to Duke’s football office. Gase: I had seen him play live. I had been on the other sideline, but it’s hard to compare when he was throwing to what I remembered. I just remember Fox being overly positive, like every throw, “Oh, that was a great throw.” Every throw. I feel like I had a conversation with Peyton maybe a couple years later where he was like, “Dude, I was shitty in that workout.” I wasn’t so much evaluating everything. I was like, “This is so out of my league.” He was either going to get $100 million from us or from someone else. Fox: The one thing I knew about Peyton even before getting involved was that no one was going to outwork him. I knew it was not going to be the best he looked at that workout. He had to look decent, and he did. Gase: We knew that whatever the price was, it was all the same for everyone, and it was just like, who was he going to pick? We thought it was down to Tennessee and us, and then all of a sudden we went to Duke to work him out and I remember we were on the way over there and someone told someone that San Francisco was here before us. That got everyone kind of like, “What the fuck?” That was what, Jim’s second year? They lost in the NFC Championship Game, they had made the playoffs, they were already a

playoff team. We were 8-8 with Tim (Tebow), so him coming to us, that felt like a reach compared to another team that had a really good defense and was proven. Saturday, March 17 Peyton: I ended up back in Tennessee. I said, “I’ll throw for you all, but I don’t want to do it Nashville.” So I said, “I’ll meet you in Knoxville.” We were going to throw at Neyland Stadium. … Nobody’s going to know we’re in there. I just thought it’d be fun to go back and throw at my old college stadium. It was in the rain, and they brought some of their executives and receiver Marc Mariani, a return man, as well. They picked Mariani up at the airport and they basically gave him some cleats and said, “We’re not telling you where we’re going. Turn your cell phone off.” He couldn’t call anybody. He couldn’t tell anybody what he was doing. It’s almost like they kidnapped him. Marc Mariani, Titans wide receiver: I had just landed in Cocoa Beach, Fla., to see my grandparents and got the phone call and thought, “This is very strange.” At first, they were not telling me what was going on. They were being very secretive. So I get on a 5:30 a.m., whatever 6 a.m., flight, land in Nashville at 7:15 looking for a meal and getting ready for a workout, and I get picked up at the airport and they say, “Hey, we’re driving to Knoxville.” And I thought, “Oh, my God.” I had nothing but gas station Gardetto’s and beef jerky and stuff getting ready for this workout. A protein shake, maybe. Peyton: It’s a three-hour drive, by the way, from Nashville to Knoxville. It’s not like 20 minutes. Mariani: It was just insane. There was a mob of people camped outside the Titans’ training facility. Peyton had been there earlier in the week and they were monitoring all the action, so they knew a workout was coming. Coach (Steve) Watterson, who had picked me up from the airport, he was our strength coach, and we had somebody tailing us. So we had to get off at an exit and do a little lap around the parking lot. It was just total madness. I’m a small-town Montana boy going, “What did I get myself wrapped into?” We didn’t even know where this workout was going to be until we showed up in Knoxville. I mean, the whole thing was just completely nuts. But in reality, it had to be. He couldn’t move anywhere without people freaking out. There were helicopters in the air at one point. Peyton: We had to divert. We went to Webb High School there in Knoxville. Munchak: We were almost two hours into the drive and then (Peyton) said, “Hey, meet us here,” and he gave us directions to this high school stadium. I don’t know if I could find it again. But we drove to this spot that was in a very remote location and when we got there, we realized that probably very few people were going to know where we were. Mariani: We get off on this back road and start driving on this muddy dirt road and we end up behind the grandstand, and all I remember is pulling up and seeing Peyton starting to stretch. He had his little towel and his sweats and I thought, “This can’t be where we’re working out.” It was just a flat field that had no lines. They hand me my workout clothes, tell me to go change under the grandstand, I start stretching out and here we go, off and running. I think we threw 45 or 50 routes. That was pretty much the most normal part of the day, the workout.

Reinfeldt: The amazing thing was, he looked really good. He threw the ball really well and took charge. He was very dynamic. He was everything you thought he would be. Munchak: He was there to compete, man. He was getting mad at himself when it wasn’t a good throw. He wanted to be perfect at everything he did. We were sitting there going, “This is why we’re here. How many guys would do this that already have his credentials? He’s trying to finish his career strongly and we have a chance to be part of that.” Peyton: After that workout, we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Litton’s, for lunch — me, Munchak, Mariani, their strength coach and some of their executives. That was a good lunch, a good hamburger. Munchak was great. I loved him. I’ve stayed in touch with him, and I’m glad he’s here in Denver (as offensive line coach). He was the kind of guy that I would have loved to have played with and play for. Cooper: There was a lot of talk and speculation about Peyton going to Tennessee, but he would be playing the Colts twice a year, and that was a little too close to home for him. Peyton: The thing about Nashville and going to the Titans, it kind of sounded great — it’s where I went to college, and there was something about that division that I liked because I knew it so well. Even though you had to play Indianapolis, I knew Houston, I knew Jacksonville. I thought that was something that was worth considering, but I think sometimes it sounds great when you go back to maybe your hometown or to your home college state, but it might not have been as good as maybe as you thought it would have been. They were kind of rebuilding still in some ways, so I began to sort of narrow it down. Munchak: By the time we worked him out, I believe there were maybe three teams left. I think it was maybe us, Denver and not sure if San Francisco or who else was in it at that time, I can’t remember. I felt really good. I think we all felt like it went really well. He was fair to everybody about it, the way he did it. I think we felt probably just like Denver did. Reinfeldt: We came away thinking we have a chance. Munch and I had both played with his Dad (on the Oilers, with whom Reinfeldt had been an All-Pro safety), so there was a camaraderie there, but at the same time, I think we still felt we weren’t the leader in the clubhouse. Fox: I think at one point, we might have thought it was San Francisco, and then I don’t think they hit it off. It could have been they didn’t offer. I don’t really remember, but then at one point I also heard they also might offer part ownership in Tennessee and I was like, “You’ve got to be shitting me.” Peyton: It reminded me a little bit of college, and in the same way I just said, “Well, I like Tennessee, but I liked Florida. I liked Ole Miss and I liked Michigan.” You want to go to all of them, right? I liked the Niners, and Nashville would have been fun, and Arizona and Fitzgerald that would have been fun because Kurt Warner had gone there and turned it around. But I really liked Decker and (Demaryius) Thomas — those guys had a big role. I met both of them on my visit and thought they were two young receivers that — I never tried to make comparisons to the Colts, with Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne), but I just thought they were some young guys that I liked. I knew Von (Miller) was such a talented player. Fox: I just kind of felt like we were going to get him the whole time. It wasn’t automatic, but I just thought there were too many boxes that we checked along the way.

Archie: Some teams eliminated themselves because they had a quarterback situation where they had to know one way or the other if Peyton was going to come to them so they could do something contractually. They needed to know. But he wasn’t ready. Peyton: I remember the Cardinals called on like a Tuesday and they said, “Hey, any chance you’re going to know by Thursday what you’re going to do?” And I was like, “I don’t think so. Why?” He’s like, “Well, we have to pay one of our quarterbacks a bonus on Thursday if he’s still on the roster, but if you’re going to come, we probably won’t pay it.” I’m like, “Look, I can’t make my decision based on your roster bonus situation.” But you felt a little bit of the tug of teams wanting to know (with) the draft getting closer. I didn’t want to lead anybody on and so I felt like I told maybe the Dolphins and the Titans probably around that time, and maybe Seattle around that time. Whisenhunt: He was honest and fair and said he wasn’t ready to choose a team. We certainly were in the running and had a really good chance, but it really came down to we had to make the decision before Peyton was ready to make his. If it all happened a month earlier, things could have been different. The way it worked, we just ran out of time. Munchak: He called me Monday morning, and we had to move on from there. But it was quite the experience, and getting a chance to know him was fun. We wished that it had gone differently because who knows what would have happened. Peyton: Something about Denver just kept staying on my mind. I knew John Elway. I felt like he wanted to win now. I knew I had probably a smaller window to play with my neck situation. I just did not want to go to a place that was far away and had a long time to rebuild. San Francisco was similar. They were close. They went to the Super Bowl that year, right? That just kind of kept coming back. I remember just waking up, and then Ashley and I talked about it and I decided, “I think I’m going to sign with Denver.” Archie: In the end, John Elway, I think, was the difference. John didn’t pressure him. He told him, “You take as long as you want. Look at everything thoroughly.” Peyton: I was always asking him, “What’s your deadline?” and I remember Elway saying, “There’s no deadline, there’s no deadline,” and I think that had a big role. When they would text or call me to check in, they were just checking in. There’s nothing worse than that person’s saying, “Hey, do you know yet? Do you know yet? Do you know yet?” Eventually you just go, “No, I don’t know yet, but because you’re annoying the hell out of me, I’m going to tell you no.” Fox: My promise to Peyton was, we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure you’re successful. Peyton: I remember calling John and Fox and letting them know I was coming to Denver and I was going to announce it today. And then I called Chris Mortensen and said, “Hey, I’m going to Denver. You can let the word out.” Gase: I know I was in the building, and I remember hearing somebody, I think it was (director of football administration) Mike Sullivan, say something really loud. Like, “He’s coming here!”

Peyton: The Broncos sent a plane to pick me up and did the press conference, and I never went back. Mike Shanahan called and said, “You can live in my house,” which, that’s a big house for a guy by himself. I remember we lost (my son) Marshall in Mike Shanahan’s house one day, so that was a little scary. Easy to do for a 1-year-old. Lynch: He ended up staying in Shanahan’s house. I’ll never forget, we picked up Peyton. Now he was a Bronco and he had arrived here for offseason workouts. You know Mike’s house. It’s a hotel. And I never seen someone locked in a house, not locked out. Like I went to pick them up and he was locked in the house. We could not get him out. And I’m staring at him, but he’s staring at me. That was like an hour-and-a-half process and, finally I think I got in touch with Mike and he told us how to do it. Peyton: Ashley packed up and moved everything out of our Indianapolis house by herself, which was tough, but she knew that I had to be up there and rehabbing. I worked out right after my press conference. I started right away. My contract, and this was my idea, I basically signed a five-year contract, but it was five one-year deals. Tom Condon, my agent, thought I was crazy, but it’s just what I felt comfortable doing. “Hey, if I play well and I’m healthy and I earn it, they’ll sign me to the second year. But if I played bad and I’m not the same guy, then I don’t want the Broncos to be on the hook having to figure out what to do with this injured quarterback.” Cooper: There were a lot more plusses than minuses when it came down to making the decision. And, boy, was it ever the right decision. You end up going to two Super Bowls in four years, and Peyton and his family are still living in Denver. Peyton: Of course, Lynch tells me how Denver is a great place to live and he’s going to be here and we can hang out. And then, of course, he moves to San Diego. I called him out on that. Now he’s working in San Francisco, so he’s off the hook. But they were right on it being such a great place to live, for sure. Lynch: I remember him saying something that I thought was really wise. Like, he was waiting for that clarity moment where it just popped to him and said, “This is the place.” And what he realized is there were a bunch of places and sometimes you just got to make a decision and then you make it right. Peyton: My dad always said, “Make a decision and don’t ever look back.” I always stuck with that. It was the right decision at the right time, and my advice on those kinds of things, when you make the decision, everybody wants to judge whether it was the right or wrong decision. It’s up to you to make it the right decision by going full speed ahead and not looking back.

Pardon the interruption, but Bradley Chubb looks good By Troy Renck KMGH June 23, 2020 The long, tedious moments of rehab brought us to this point. Recovering from the second ACL surgery on his left knee, Bradley Chubb interrupted fans with a pleasant diversion Monday. Chubb, sans a brace, showed burst, leverage and strength as he exploded through a 40-second workout tease video on his Twitter feed set to Lil Yachty's "Pardon Me." "Just getting that work in, just getting better, getting to it. Knee feels good, body feels good. Let's get to it," Chubb said. It's impossible to overstate the importance of Chubb's rebound. The Westgate's SuperBookUSA set Chubb's odds of winning the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year honors at 20-1. If he remains in the conversation among players like Ben Roethlisberger, Rob Gronkowski and J.J. Watt, the Broncos will snap their four-year playoff drought. Chubb is that good. That he's moving, cutting and bursting nine months removed from his operation is encouraging. It leaves him on pace to have few — if any — restrictions when training camp opens on July 28, though he could start on a snap count. Lost in his absence was how well Chubb played in the first four games. Yes, he only had one sack, but he boasted six quarterback hits, five tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and 16 tackles, leaving him on pace for 64. He posted 48 in his rookie season. "He fit in very well. He’s just good in all areas. He’s such a solid, consistent person in all areas of his life. He’s just got a lot of skill and ability," defensive coordinator Ed Donatell said recently. "But this is a Bronco that’s going to be a great Bronco for a long time; we just didn’t get to see enough of it last year because of the injury. We’ve seen him running on tape, and he’s full speed and ready to go. You’ll see a really good year from him.” Chubb partially tore his ACL with 14:16 remaining in the fourth quarter against Jacksonville on Sept. 29. It was announced as dehydration, but the truth was jarring. Chubb returned to the game, a testament to his toughness and commitment, but an exam the following day revealed the damage. Chubb tore the ACL in the same knee in high school, leaving him aware of the hallmarks and milestones needed to reach in his road back. Monday's video replaced optimism with evidence. "We have been waiting patiently for this one! Astro Chubb," Pro Bowl receiver Courtland Sutton tweeted.

Derrek Tuszka hopes versatility, effort land Broncos roster spot By Troy Renck KMGH June 23, 2020 The plan was simple, always simple. Derrek Tuszka would pursue an NFL dream at North Dakota State, along the way inspired by other alums drafted and succeeding at the sport's highest level. Everything has gone right -- the Bison have won eight FCS national championships in nine years, and Tuszka proved a critical figure in titles in his final seasons -- leaving the edge rusher poised to make a strong push for a roster spot next month. The Broncos have a history of unearthing gems in the late rounds. Tuszka, taken with the 254th overall pick in the seventh round, aims to add to that list during training camp with his effort and versatility. "I would say I am relentless. I have a high motor and I am just very passionate about the game," Tuskza told Denver7 when asked to describe his game. "I am not taking any plays off. If a play is going away from someone, they might take it off. I am always trying to protect what I put on film." Watch the highlights and Tuszka jumps off the screen. He pursues with a zeal that is uncommon, something not lost on the Broncos, who chose Tuszka rather than risk losing him to another team as a free agent. "Well, you won the lottery," coach Vic Fangio told Tuszka on his draft call when he was selected. General manager John Elway, cognizant of the cultural fabric at North Dakota State, asked Tuszka to bring some of "those winning ways" with him. For Tuszka, the landing spot offered an ideal fit. He began training at Landow Performance, located a few miles from the Broncos headquarters, for the NFL combine. Now, he isn't going anywhere. "You know it was a huge relief just knowing that I was going back to place that I was really familiar with and starting to fall in love with. It felt so good to get that call," Tuszka said last week after explaining that he will continue working out in Denver over the next month. "I couldn’t be more excited." If there was any doubt of Tuskza's NFL candidacy, they dissolved in his senior season. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has ample size for an outside linebacker, and dominated for the Bison, posting 19 tackles for a loss and 13.5 sacks in 2019. However, how would his athleticism grade against Division I athletes at his position? Very well, thank you. At the combine, Tuszka ran a 4.79 40-yard dash, ranked first in the three-cone drill, and fifth in the vertical jump at 33.5 inches.

This cannot be dismissed when considering Tuszka's path to the roster. He projects as a backup, meaning he will have to find a niche on special teams. This type of attitude was fostered in a college program that centered more on "we than me." "When you have a winning culture and winning tradition, everybody is out to get you, the target is on your back. If you let one day get past you in your preparation, you will get a loss really quickly. There was really an attention to detail and the accountability within the program and with the players," Tuszka said. "I will definitely have a chance to make my name on special teams. I know people say this is a job, but I am loving what I am doing so much it doesn't even feel like it." For Tuskza, like all the rookies, this has been an upside down offseason. Typically, at this point in their development, rookies would have a feel for where they sat on the depth chart after multiple weeks of OTAs. Field reps have been replaced by Zoom meetings. The mental side of the game has never been more important for rookies trying to earn one of the last roster spots. "It’s a lot of playbook and studying. You are just trying to learn from other people's mistakes and their successes on film," Tuszka said. "Once preseason comes, however it looks (in terms of practices and games), it's got to be full speed, especially given the time we have had to study. Everything is going to be amped up. I think the Broncos have done a great job of getting us ready. And you know what they say, 'Control what you can control and you don't have to worry.'"

Mile High Morning: How A.J. Bouye is paying it forward as an undrafted success story By Ben Swanson DenverBroncos.com June 23, 2020 The Lead A.J. Bouye has been the Broncos' top cornerback for just a little over three months, but already he's taking a leadership role. As an undrafted player who went on to make a Pro Bowl, Bouye has found rare success in his NFL career. And just as veterans helped Bouye as he began that path, Bouye now finds himself in position to take that role in Denver, as The Denver Post's Ryan O'Halloran details. "I always want to work with the undrafted guys extra because those guys are sponges," Bouye said recently. "They always want to learn anything. I just feel like I can relate more to those guys because they're always learning. When I was coming in, I always wanted to learn from veterans." The Broncos' only undrafted cornerback, Essang Bassey of Wake Forest, says he understands the value Bouye's words hold. "I'm just trying to learn everything I can," Bassey told O'Halloran. "I want to last long in the league, and [the veterans] have the tools to do it and they've done it. I want to learn what works for them and what doesn't work and use it to my advantage." Below the Fold Start your week off with a little fun with this head-to-head matchup between Elijah Wilkinson and Shelby Harris in a Broncos trivia challenge. Keith Irizarry hosts "The Virtual Ring," which also included a couple other non-Broncos games. If you want to try your hand at some Broncos trivia, 9NEWS' Mike Klis put together nine questions revolving around the 2011 offseason, which, like this offseason, featured several players conducting their own workouts. The NFL Players Association's medical director, Thom Mayer, announced Saturday that he is recommending players cease working out together as COVID-19 cases increase in recent days. That could put a stop to the reported workouts that Drew Lock has been conducting with other Broncos players.

Initial expectations and projections for Justin Strnad with the Broncos in 2020 By Zac Stevens DNVR June 23, 2020 For a second-straight year under Vic Fangio, the Broncos used their fifth-round pick on a versatile linebacker. In 2019, Justin Hollins was viewed as more of an outside linebacker that primarily rushed the passer. Once the Broncos drafted him, Denver tried playing him at inside backer too. In 2020, the Broncos went different a direction with Justin Strnad in the fifth round. While Strnad has experience playing all over the field, the majority of his experience came as a traditional off-the-line backer. As a rookie, Hollins played in 25 percent of the defensive snaps. Will Strnad fill a bigger role his rookie season playing inside? Here’s what to expect from the rookie linebacker in 2020. Projections for 2020: Go-to coverage linebacker; 16 games played The Broncos already have their two starting linebackers for 2020. But by drafting Strnad they found their new go-to coverage linebacker. And boy have the Broncos desperately needed this. Tight ends and running backs out of the backfield have given Denver’s defense fits for years. In fact, just last year, the Broncos got torched by tight ends inside their division, even under Fangio. In two games against the Chiefs, Travis Kelce owned Denver—combining for 17 receptions for 186 yards. Darren Waller of the Raiders also went off in his two games against the Broncos—racking up 177 yards on 13 catches. The Broncos used a fifth-round draft pick on Strnad in an attempt to slow those two, among others, down moving forward. At Wake Forest, Strnad wasn’t just a coverage linebacker, but that was certainly his specialty throughout his entire career. At 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, Strnad has the size needed to cover tight ends and running backs. His 4.74 40-yard-dash speed will be sufficient, but not ideal, against many tight ends. With Todd Davis and Alexander Johnson starting for Denver at inside linebacker—and both better defending against the run than Strnad—the rookie will most certainly be coming off the bench. In 2020, he’ll have a very specific role as a coverage linebacker as he continues to become a more well-rounded backer that will allow him to see the field in more than just passing situations. A successful season for the rookie will have Strnad as Denver’s go-to coverage specialist from the linebacker room. This will get him on the field often. But that role won’t be handed to him as Joe Jones, Justin Hollins and Josh Watson will be fighting for a similar role as Strnad.

Under Pressure: DeMarcus Walker is facing a make-or-break year in 2020 By Cecil Lammey 104.3 The Fan June 23, 2020 The Broncos have had a great offseason in 2020. They made some big moves in free agency, added star talent via trades and then crushed the 2020 NFL Draft. Their roster has been upgraded by a wide margin just based on the elite-level talent that has been added this calendar year. In this new series “Under Pressure,” I’ll look at some of the players who are most under pressure after the moves in free agency and the draft. The talent added to this roster is going to push some players – maybe even some fan favorites – off the roster. Today, I’ll examine the situation surrounding Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Walker. Let’s see why he’s under pressure in 2020. *** Background The Broncos were thrilled to be able to acquire DeMarcus Walker in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Coming out of Florida State, Walker was known as a ‘tweener pass-rusher, meaning he might be too big to play outside linebacker but also too small to play on the defensive line. Regardless of the questions about where he should play, there was no doubt that Walker could get after the quarterback, as evidenced by his 21.5 tackles for loss in 2016. Walker ranked second in the FBS with 16.0 sacks that year and scouts were excited about his upside in the pros. In addition to posting those great numbers in his senior season, Walker did that while dealing with a left foot injury he suffered that November. The injury required him to wear a boot in between games and it kept him from participating in the Senior Bowl or working out at the Scouting Combine. One could easily say that if Walker had been healthy, performed well at the Senior Bowl and tested well at the Combine, he would have been a first-round pick. At the time of his selection, I was promoting Walker as a value pick for the Broncos. The first decision the Broncos made about Walker could have prevented him from playing up to his potential from day one. I always felt that Walker should have added weight to play on the defensive line, but that’s not what happened. Instead, the Broncos asked Walker to lose weight, stand up and play outside linebacker in 2017. As a rookie that season, Walker failed to make much of an impact. He played only 101 snaps at outside linebacker in 2017, finishing the year with just 10 tackles and 1.0 sack. Walker looked out of position and awkward as he tried to rush from a standing position. The Broncos corrected that mistake in 2018, as Walker was then asked to gain weight and get back to playing his position from college – defensive end. In the final year under Vance Joseph, Walker barely saw

the field, playing only 21 snaps and appearing in only three games. Walker ended that year with 1.0 sack, one fumble recovery, two tackles and one assist. In 2019 under Vic Fangio, Walker had the best season of his pro career – still playing on the defensive line. Walker played 225 snaps across a full 16-game season and finished with 4.0 sacks, 13 tackles, nine assists and one pass defensed. He really seemed like a good fit for what Fangio wanted him to do, which gave the Broncos hope that he could continue to flourish in a good defense at his most natural position. *** The Pressure Walker is in the final year of his rookie contract, so the pressure comes from within in 2020. Even though he had a career-high 4.0 sacks a season ago, Walker graded poorly on his pass-rushing snaps according to Pro Football Focus. In 126 pass-rush snaps, Walker graded at just 55.9 by PFF while grading at 65.4 in run defense on only 94 run-defense snaps. I certainly appreciate all the hard work done by PFF, but I don’t agree with his grade on passing downs. While Walker didn’t light the stat sheet on fire, he did perform better than he graded in my opinion. Walker did show his quick get-off when the ball was snapped and he certainly showed hustle to get after the quarterback. Currently on the Broncos official roster, only three players are listed as defensive ends. Walker, Shelby Harris and Dre’Mont Jones have a “DE” next to their name on the team’s website. There are others who have “DL” next to their name, but let’s focus on Jones here as the primary player to put pressure on Walker in 2020. Jones was a fine pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. I had him as the No. 50 rated player in that draft class, yet the Broncos were able to get him in the third round with the No. 71 overall pick. Not only is Jones a value pick in my eyes, he’s also a favorite of coach Fangio. Jones is faster and stronger than Walker and could even beat out Harris for the starting job. I believe that Jones has greater upside than Harris or Walker. If he convinces Fangio that he can take another step forward in his second year, then we could see the second-year pro from Ohio State become a key defender for the Broncos up front. *** What He Needs to Do He’s highly unlikely to win a starting job for the Broncos, so Walker needs to prove himself as a reserve/rotational player. Last season was a good year for Walker, and he’s been a team-first guy – even when the team puts him in the wrong position and tried to play him at outside linebacker. Walker has never publicly criticized the team for doing that, and he’s worked diligently and quietly behind the scenes. Some may put the “bust” label on Walker since he was a second-round pick and has made little impact. Fans also will note that the Broncos had a different draft strategy in 2017, as evidenced by the other players picked in that draft – and the player picked in the first round that year, left tackle Garett Bolles. The Broncos used to draft on potential and not on production, but that philosophy has changed. However, as noted earlier in this article, Walker did have the production to match the potential.

He should have never been stood up to play outside linebacker. Imagine where Walker would be if he had played at defensive end all three years, learning from legendary defensive line coach Bill Kollar the entire time. Instead, Walker has been jerked around by the old staff and has yet to fully play up to his potential. Perhaps Walker may only be a rotational player in the pros and not worth the draft capital the team spent on him. However, that type of player has value and Walker could end up proving that value to the team with a new contract next offseason.