Manning offers no formal answer to his football future while focusing on Super Bowl

It was a typical launch to the sport’s biggest week Monday night as the renamed-for-prime time Super Bowl 50 Opening Night featured all the usual zaniness of what used to be simply known as “Media Day.”

One reporter funneled his questions through a colorful hand puppet, others asked the players to say hello to Mexico, to Japan, to wish fans a “Happy Chinese New Year.” Miss Universe was wandering around the arena floor inside the SAP Center just because, and amidst all the noise and distraction Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning seemed plenty comfortable within his own pocket of this familiar circus.

He smoothly worked around questions about Donald Trump and politics – “I’m just a meathead football player, that’s all I know.”

He humored one reporter in a round of trivia with all three answers adding up to Manning’s signature “Omaha, Omaha, Omaha.” He later drew more questions from a helmet for “Extra,” nailing the ones about the Oscars while gamely admitting he did not know who Taylor Swift is currently dating.

Through all that, though, there were legitimate questions asked – including the big one about whether Super Bowl 50 will indeed be the final game of Manning’s Hall of Fame football career.

“No, I haven’t made my mind up, and I don’t see myself knowing that until after the season,” Manning said. “Kind of like I said earlier, whatever cliche you want to use, that kind of stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand and kind of just deal with this week, that’s what I’ve done all season.”

Manning’s future has been a big story line given his advancing age and declining performance this season, especially after a microphone caught him telling New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick “This might be my last rodeo” after the Broncos edged the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game two weekends ago. Other reports have indicated he’s told friends this could be the end.

On Monday, though, Manning had no such declarations, reiterating that whatever the challenges that have presented themselves this season, he’s tried to take just one at a time.

“Coach Kubiak told me I’m not going to play against the Bears, I need some time to get healthy, so I’m going to get healthy that week. I’m not going to play against the Patriots, I’m going to try to get a little better this week. And this week you’re going to go in the indoor and throw some, so let’s do that this week and get back on the practice field. Get a chance to dress out against the Chargers as a backup quarterback, at least I’m available to make a contribution,” he said, recounting these last few months.

“So I’ve really just tried to focus on that one week and not get too far ahead, and that has really helped me out a lot. I think had I been thinking about things past that, it would have affected me and so it’s really served me well to this point. I’m going to stick with that for one more week, and I obviously have a big task at hand with the Panthers in the Super Bowl on Sunday. But I’m going to stick to that philosophy.”

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Manning’s situation and whether this could be the end for the quarterback has not been a topic on the minds of the team.

“That hasn’t come up. We’ve stayed in the moment with what we’re doing. Peyton’s stayed in the moment with me in his preparation for this football game. So it’s all been about each and every day, how can we get ready to play Carolina and be the best we can be next week,” he said. “... Anytime you’ve played as long as he has, you really cherish these moments. So I think he’s really cherishing each meeting, each day with his teammates. His work has been excellent. I think he’s felt the best he’s probably felt all year long, other than when we first got started. So I see a guy getting ready to be at his best.”

Added Broncos safety T.J. Ward: “This is the biggest game of our careers to date so him playing his last one, it doesn’t make it any more important. I think [he] would tell you the same thing.”

Regardless of whether it is or isn’t to be the final game in Manning’s illustrious record-setting career, others took the time nonetheless to pay their respects.

Broncos tight end Owen Daniels, who is in his first season as the quarterback’s teammate, revealed a secret he says he’s not sure Manning even knows.

“It’s been an honor playing with that guy. To be able to play with arguably the greatest quarterback of all time is something really, really special,” Daniels said. “I was a fan of his back growing up. I remember having his Tennessee jersey when I was younger – don’t tell him that – but I was a quarterback back then so I studied him and watched him a ton, so to have a chance to actually play with him and to possibly win a championship with him it’s something that I never dreamed of. ... That jersey is probably still in the closet at my parents’ house so maybe I can get him to sign it one of these days.”

Meanwhile, Carolina Panthers cornerback and former Coastal Carolina star Josh Norman bristled when asked about Manning’s current declining passing abilities.

“Why was he really good? You don’t think he’s really good now?” Norman retorted to one reporter. “I mean he’s in the Super Bowl, so I think he’s got to be somewhat good to be here. ... He’s Peyton Manning. He’s ‘The Sheriff.’”

Manning himself, though, gave a frank self-assessment. In between questions about where people can buy the crawfish golf shorts from his latest Nationwide commercial and about his thoughts on one of his favorite television shows “Curb Your Enthusiasm” potentially returning for another season, the 39-year-old quarterback said he’s been a different player for a few seasons now.

“My arm is what it is,” he said. “I honestly think that having a little time off to heal my foot maybe helped some other parts. I think there’s something to not getting hit every Sunday, not throwing 100 passes in a practice every week. ... My arm feels OK. My arm has not been the same since I got injured four years ago – it simply hasn’t been. I had a strange injury. I had a neck injury that caused some nerve problems in my right arm.

“My high school coach used to tell me when you’re sprinting left it would be a lot easier if you could throw left-handed, if you were ‘amphibious.’ I think he meant ambidextrous, but when I hurt my arm and I had that nerve damage, I said, ‘Only if I could throw left-handed it would be a lot easier.’ I’ve worked hard to kind of sort of manage with the physical limitations and have gotten to a place where at least I think I can be effective, and that’s kind of where it is.”

Whether or not that means he’s embracing the end of his career this week or truly hasn’t made a decision beyond Sunday is for him to know, and he humorously reminded the media throng Monday night that there are more important considerations to made in the world.

“I think ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ returning is much more important than if I return,” Manning quipped.

Whatever the future holds, it was typical Manning on Monday night and a typical opening to the frenzy that is Super Bowl week – few real answers, but enough entertainment to make it all worthwhile.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Manning offers no formal answer to his football future while focusing on Super Bowl."