Rachel Heaton
The Paw Print
I guess it’s just going to be another boring offseason in the National Football League.
After being released by the Colts on March 7, Peyton Manning inked a five-year 96 million dollar contract with the Denver Broncos. The deal, which was officially announced on March 20, ended the frenzy of teams trying to land the quarterback’s services. Also in the running for Manning were the San Francisco 49ers and the Tennessee Titans. Manning is arguably the most sought-after free agent in NFL history.
I think this is a very smart move on the part of both Manning and the Broncos. For Manning, the city and its fan base are very supportive and dedicated. The Broncos are newly reenergized from Tebow Mania and fans are excited to watch Broncos football.
Now, the Broncos must work hard during the remainder of the offseason to surround Manning with the best guys possible in order to compete for the Lombardi trophy. This may mean trying to bring in Jeff Saturday or other players that Manning is familiar with from Indianapolis. They need a good offensive line to protect Manning, skilled receivers for him to throw to, and a defense that helps keep the team in games. The addition of Manning appears to make the Broncos into contenders.
What does this all mean for Tim Tebow? After leading the Broncos to a division title and a playoff victory just this past season, Tebow found himself on the trading block. Currently, the Broncos are in negotiation with the New York Jets, but there has been a snag in the deal that would send Tebow to the Big Apple. The contract could be nullified over 5 million dollars of Tebow’s salary that the Jets would be responsible of paying to the Broncos. The Broncos are also in talks with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, in all likelihood, Tebow will end up a Jet.
Personally, I think the Broncos are stupid to trade Tebow. If we do trade him, we’re still going to need another quarterback. In a press conference, John Elway laughed at the idea of a “Plan B”, appearing to be all-in on Manning, but the Broncos will still need another QB in case something does happen to Manning. Tebow has experience playing in the league and also knows how to win. He can be used in specialty situations, which is what other teams plan to do if they land the QB. He also sells tickets and merchandise, which every team should enjoy.
Aaron Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre for a few years and now he dominating the league, with one championship victory under his belt. I believe that if Tebow trained under Manning, he would be competent enough to take over the starting role when Manning’s time is done.
Why are the Broncos so adamant to get rid of the quarterback that did so much for the organization and that won the heart of the Denver fans?
Only time will tell how the futures of Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning play out. For Broncos fans, we can only hope that the organization will make the best decisions going forward.
What’s Been Said…