Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning met with foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson on Monday and the news wasn't what he had hoped for. According to the Broncos, Manning will miss at least the next two weeks.
The 39-year-old quarterback will need to spend the next week in a walking cast, followed by at least one week of rehabilitation once the cast comes off. He sat out last week with a partially torn plantar fascia, and was hoping Monday's second opinion would hurry his return date.
Manning will still be a valuable member to the team, according to head coach Gary Kubiak. "His foot will be in a cast for at least a week, but he'll be able to be part of meetings and do some workouts with the rest of the team," Kubiak said Tuesday.
In his absence, Brock Osweiler has been taking snaps for Denver. The fourth-year quarterback made his first career start in Week 11 and went 20 of 27 for 250 yards and two touchdowns in a narrow win over the Bears. He will continue to start while Manning recovers. If he can keep up the production and put on a show next week against the Patriots, the Broncos could have a very difficult decision ahead of them.
There have already been rumors that Manning's tenure with the Broncos might come to a close, but he reportedly still plans on playing at least one more year.
Although Manning set the NFL's career passing yards record this season, he hasn't had the kind of success he's used to. His stats for the season include 2,180 passing yards for nine touchdowns, an NFL-high 17 interceptions and a career-low 67.6 passer rating. Poor decision-making and offensive lines woes -- the Broncos have allowed 15 sacks this year -- have made 2015 a season Manning will likely want to forget.