Peyton Manning Looking Forward to Playing With Emmanuel Sanders

Aug 19, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (88) makes a catch as Washington Redskins cornerback E.J. Biggers (30) defends during the first half at FedEX Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking after the Duke workouts with his teammates, Peyton Manning dished on the Broncos’ top offseason acquisition so far on the offensive side of the football, former Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Sanders hopes to add an explosive element to the Broncos’ offense, something that only Demaryius Thomas really provides but the Broncos really haven’t had anything like Sanders since Peyton Manning has been the quarterback.

Manning said one thing in particular that caught my eye about Sanders:

“He is excited about being here. Obviously, it is fun to play with guys who are excited about being here with the Denver Broncos. In the studies that I kind of did on him, I saw that he led their team in tackles on kickoff team one year. That tells you the guy likes football. That is more than just being a receiver; that is being a football player … I look forward to playing with a guy like that.” 

Maybe you need to read that again.

Peyton Manning just said he scouted Sanders so far in depth that he knew that one year, he led the Steelers’ kickoff team in tackles.

Manning is serious. He knows his players. There’s no secret that the key to having a great team is chemistry. Being on the same page. The Broncos are working toward that and those Duke workouts were a huge part of it. This is just another in a long, historic line of examples of how hard Manning truly works. The dedication he puts forth in knowing his teammates, and not only building a strong relationship on the field but off of it as well.