If there was ever any doubt Peyton Manning was going to come back, that vanished on Sunday night.
The motivation and anger Manning should have felt seeing his biggest rival win yet another Super Bowl took care of his doubt. That should serve as even more fire for Manning to come back and help the Denver Broncos win their third Lombardi Trophy.
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There’s no doubt Manning has some questions and perhaps concerns over where he fits into the drastic changes at Dove Valley. It will take John Elway and new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak all of five seconds to answer Manning’s questions and ease his concerns.
After Manning’s news conference at the Bart Starr Award ceremony last Friday in Phoenix, I got the impression he needed to get reassured he was still good enough to lead Denver to where it wants to go. After what happened last season with how he struggled and having two of his coaches quit on him and his teammates, plus the injuries he faced, that would rattle anyone.
There was talk from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen last Sunday that Manning could announce his return this week. If it doesn’t come this week, I would expect it next week since Manning said he doesn’t want to drag this out. He doesn’t want to hold the Broncos hostage with this announcement.
Manning knows Elway and Kubiak want him back. After Manning talks with the two, he’ll know he gives them the best chance to win (just look at the Super Bowl odds).
After Sunday night, Manning has even more drive and motivation to lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl win. If there was any doubt he would come back, it ended when Manning saw Tom Brady lift up the Lombardi Trophy.
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Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports