Peyton Manning Returns To Practice, Brock

Some speculated that Peyton Manning might dress out on Sunday and serve as the Denver Broncos’ third-string quarterback (and an insurance option) against the Steelers.

This is the first time he has had to work his way back, and the first time his team has had to seriously consider if he will be inserted back into the starting lineup when he gets healthy.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said in a conference that what Manning did last Wednesday was a “step back in the right direction”.

He said he’d been too busy watching film of Denver’s 15-12 loss to Oakland and meeting with the team to get together with Manning or the medical staff and determine this week’s plan for No. 18. So, he wasn’t prepared to say if Manning would return to practice this week or whether Brock Osweiler would definitely start at Pittsburgh this weekend.

When Peyton Manning finally opened up about his foot injury earlier this month, the Broncos quarterback confirmed that he had been dealing with a partial tear in his plantar fascia “for quite some time”.

-The Broncos’ defense sits atop the league through 13 games: it leads the league in yardage allowed per game and per play, is the best in average allowed per pass play and per rush and is also No. 1 in scoring defense.

Following the loss, Manning spent two weeks with his left foot immobilized, first in a hard cast and then in a walking boot, before restarting his rehab. “He looked good. It went well”.

“It was a little unusual to watch Peyton take those scout team reps today, ” Osweiler said after Wednesdays workout.

While Denver’s offense has struggled behind both quarterbacks, tight end Virgil Green said the Broncos (10-3) believe they can win with either one. The team has a championship-quality defense and could have a strong chance to win reach the Super Bowl if Osweiler can continue to offer strong performances.

Manning’s return to the practice field is the biggest sign of progress he has had as he deals with the foot injury. “It just happened this morning, a decision we made with what we’re doing [on Friday]”. While Osweiler could not exclusively carry the burden of the defeat as the entire team’s performance contributed to their downfall, fans could not help but compare him to the NFL MVP. “If he gets back on the field, he wants to be ready”. In that game, Osweiler completed 35-of-51 passes for 308 yards but could not find the end zone.