It looks like Peyton Manning, the NFL’s most coveted free agent in perhaps ever, has just given the go ahead to his agent to get a deal finalized with the Broncos.
So you know what this means? Yep, that’s right, Tim Tebow, the man who led the Broncos to the playoffs and a shocking first round upset of the then defending AFC Champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, will soon be looking for a new job and may go the LeBron James route by taking his talents to South Beach or Florida in general.
Denver will definitely try to trade Tim Tebow, with the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars at the top of the list of teams eagerly looking for a quarterback.
Manning instructed Condon to negotiate the finite details of a contract that would conclude with him joining the Broncos and the contract is a perceived formality at this point.
Manning called Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway on Monday morning to tell him the news. Manning also called the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans to inform them of his intent to now play for Denver.
“I was hoping we would win out,” Titans owner Bud Adams told the Tennessean after Manning informed the team of his decision. “I thought we’d be ahead of Denver. I thought he’d want to stay in Tennessee.”
Elway and Manning first discussed the parameters of a five-year, $95 million contract during their March 9 meeting in Denver, the first time the quarterback visited a team during his free agency.
Elway then told Manning during the Friday, March 16 trip to Durham, N.C. — where the quarterback has done the majority of his training — that he wanted to finalize a contract “fair to both sides.” Neither side expects any hangups.
However, details such as guaranteed money, structure of the deal and contract language designed to protect the Broncos in the event of Manning’s inability to perform due to his prior neck surgeries all will be addressed in the contract, sources said.
