It doesn’t take much digging to discover why Peyton Manning chose the Denver Broncos. In 2005, his brother Cooper gave an interview that perhaps revealed Manning’s free agent bonanza could have no other conclusion.
“[John] Elway and [Dan] Marino were Peyton’s heroes growing up,” Cooper said.
So what do you do when your hero asks you to come play for him?
You revert to that kid who grew up watching your hero lead one legendary comeback after another. You become that kid again, the one who dreamed what it would be like to be John Elway.
You realize the best way to turn that dream into reality is to play for him.
So if everything else — money (reportedly five years, $95 million), surrounding talent (AFC West champs) and location (opposite conference from his brother Eli) — fits, you play for your hero.
The pairing of Elway and Manning is such a big deal that it trumped the biggest story of the NFL this past season — Tim Tebow and the Broncos.
If Elway wanted to get out from under the Tebow phenomenon, there were few options available — despite serious doubts that he could have a successful NFL career at a quarterback.
Tebow had become an iconic figure in Denver, and it was going to take another icon to placate his worshippers.
Manning qualifies.
Manning, an 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback with a Super Bowl ring and 399 career touchdown passes to date, will take his place someday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps Elway will introduce him at the induction ceremony.
Or it could prove to be a very uncomfortable day in Canton, Ohio.
What if this doesn’t work?
What if the doubts about Manning’s ability to come back from the neck injury that sidelined him for the entire 2011 season and forced his exit from Indianapolis are realized?
What if after four neck surgeries or procedures or whatever you want to call them he is not the future Hall of Famer but a broken-down, soon-to-be 36-year-old quarterback struggling in a new home?
It could be very ugly.
It could damage the legacies of not one but two Hall of Famers — yes, even Elway in his beloved Denver. Elway has been gone from the playing field long enough that a generation of fans might know him only as the engineer behind the Manning debacle and not a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Or it could be two football gods joining together for something special.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
