Denver Broncos Putting an End to Tebowmania? Report Says Manning to Mile High

In making the rounds to visit NFL franchises in need of quarterbacks, Peyton Manning did exactly what he should have been doing: gauging each team's needs and commitment to winning, studying offensive systems, coaches, personnel and identifying which team presented the best shot of getting to the Super Bowl.

The report from ESPN that Manning is taking his talents to Denver is not all that surprising.  Manning's magical mystery tour began when the Indianapolis Colts released him on March 7th.  Tennessee, 49ers" target="_blank">San Francisco and Denver were the leading choices for his services.  While Tebow-mania was great for ratings and jersey sales, it is obvious that last season's phenomenon was never a favorite of John Elway, whose opinion means quite a lot with the Broncos. 

Denver simply did not see Tebow as a long-term solution at quarterback.  While he is young and exciting, Tebow is nowhere near the level of Manning, who ranks among the NFL's all-time greats and can manage a game and call plays at the line of scrimmage as well as anyone who has ever played the game.

Now that Manning has made his decision, there's an element of risk management involved regarding how the contract will be structured.  ESPN's Adam Schefter has confirmed that the the contract will be for five years and $96 million.  How much of the money will be guaranteed for a player who has undergone neck surgery and sat out the previous season?  That remains to be seen.  Manning's agent will have to work out a deal that is fair to both sides in case the neck injury flairs up again.

Some people may compare Manning donning a Broncos uniform with the sad sights of Joe Namath on the Rams and Johnny Unitas with the Chargers.  However, both were well past their primes when they left the Jets and Colts.  A more appropriate comparison would be Joe Montana, who did rather well in leading the Chiefs to the playoffs with a flawed team.  Yes, he looked odd in the Kansas City uniform, but the talent was still there.  Assuming the four-time MVP is fully healed from his surgeries, Manning should be able to lead Denver to a strong season that goes far  into the postseason and perhaps even the Super Bowl.

The quarterback's arrival in Denver will trigger a series of roster moves, which could include trading Tim Tebow.  Many suspect a large list of suitors, including the Jacksonville Jaguars. Manning's return is good news to football, but it will likely be bad news for competitors in the AFC West.

Jed Hughes is Vice Chair of Korn/Ferry and the leader of the executive search firm's Global Sports Practice.  Among his high-profile placements are Mark Murphy, CEO of the Green Bay Packers; Larry Scott, Commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference; and Brady Hoke, head coach of the Michigan Wolverines.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Hughes coached for two decades in professional and intercollegiate football where he served under five Hall of Fame coaches: Bo Schembechler (Michigan), Chuck Noll (Pittsburgh Steelers), Bud Grant (Minnesota Vikings), John Ralston (Stanford) and Terry Donahue (UCLA).  Follow him on Facebook, Twitter @jedhughesKF.