Emmanuel Sanders Not Worrying About Contract, Broncos' QB Situation

The Denver Broncos kicked off Phase 1 of their offseason training program at Dove Valley this week. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was one of the players allowed to talk to the media on the first day of the new season, and he had plenty of thoughts to share about the direction the team is headed after winning Super Bowl 50.

The defending Super Bowl champs are facing an unusual situation at the quarterback position. Not since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens have we seen a team begin the next season with a starting quarterback who was not on the roster during its championship run. That next season, the Ravens replaced Trent Dilfer with free agent Elvis Grbac and went 10-6 in 2001, eventually losing their second game in the playoffs and falling short of back-to-back championships.

Right now, Sanders is still soaking in what it feels like to be champions while also looking ahead to this season.

“It feels good,” he said. “The offseason has been great, but at the end of the day I remember talking to [general manager] John Elway. When we were getting ready to get on the bus, I looked at Elway and I said, ‘After you won your first one, did you enjoy it?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, but I was thinking about that next one.’ And that’s how I feel right now.”

Sanders isn’t worried about the question mark at quarterback the team has entering the 2016 season. Instead, he’s focused on the team defending its title.

Life Without Peyton

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After winning Super Bowl 50, future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning decided to call it a career. After 18 seasons of mostly dominance, Manning owns or shares almost every major NFL record a quarterback can have. In four seasons with the Broncos, Manning led the team to an AFC West title in each season, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory.

Sanders acknowledges that things will be different with Manning missing from the roster.

“It definitely feels weird not having him around because I’ve been with him for two years,” he said. “Seeing him around and not having his presence in the locker room, it feels a little weird. We definitely miss him around here.”

With such a void left in offensive leadership, Sanders knows that others will have to fill the hole left by Manning.

“Guys like myself, Demaryius [Thomas], C.J. [Anderson], Mark [Sanchez]—everyone has to step up and get the chemistry right,” he said. “The good thing is Peyton gave us the blueprint of how to go about doing it. Spending time off the field, getting to know guys…so we’re going to continue to follow that blueprint.”

It will be a different look for the Broncos without No. 18 out there yelling “Omaha!” before every play. With such an emphasis on team chemistry, perhaps the offense will be able to successfully rally around the new starter.

Brock Osweiler Says No Thanks

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With Manning retired, the plan for the Broncos was to sign Brock Osweiler to a long-term contract. They made a strong push for him, but the team was outbid by the Houston Texans, who signed Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract with $37 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $18 million.

Sanders seemed to have good chemistry with the young passer, but now he’ll have to establish a strong playing relationship with a new signal-caller for the Broncos.

The veteran receiver doesn’t hold Osweiler’s decision to leave Denver against him.

“When he hit free agency, it was up in the air. Obviously, when it came down to it, he made the best decision for his family and for himself. I’m happy for him.” Sanders joked, “I live in Houston, and I texted him and I told him, ‘Hey, look, you better take me out to dinner. As a matter of fact, you better buy me a car or something.’ I’m happy for him.”

Without Osweiler, the Broncos have been left scrambling for answers at the quarterback position. Having a playmaker like Sanders on the outside will help any quarterback the Broncos put into the starting lineup in 2016.

Mark Sanchez the Answer?

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Earlier this offseason, the Broncos were able to trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Mark Sanchez. The team acquired him for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft. With limited cap space, the Broncos were able to get a veteran quarterback of two AFC Championship Games for only a $4.5 million price tag in 2016.

He may not begin the season as the starter, but as of right now, it’s easy to put Sanchez at the top of the depth chart for the Broncos. In fact, the only other quarterback on the roster is 2015 seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian.

Early in April, Sanchez held a passing camp for his new teammates out in California. This is something he used to do during his time as a starter with the New York Jets. Then called “Jets West,” the camp was to help get a jump-start on establishing chemistry with his receivers for the upcoming season.

With all due respect to his former Jets teammates, Sanchez has never had a group of weapons on offense like he’ll have in Denver.

Sanchez has made a good first impression on Sanders.

“Just going out there to California, I can tell he wants to be a leader on this team, he wants to be the quarterback and he wants to be the guy. I was impressed by his arm strength. I was impressed with the throws he was making.” Sanders explained, “I’ve been here around the locker room, and he’s been spending extra time in the facility. That’s the type of guy that we need. It’s going to be fun.”

Sanchez seems to relish the fact that he’s on the Broncos roster. With no other viable starter on the roster at this time, it seems like he wants to get a head start and prove that he can be “the man” for the Broncos in 2016.

Sanchez has plenty of experience, the best weapons he’s had as a pro and is on a team where the defense can do the heavy lifting. While most mock drafts have the Broncos reaching for a quarterback in Round 1, one cannot overlook Sanchez’s resume and how he’s handling himself early in his Broncos career.

Contract Situation Not a Distraction

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The Broncos were able to sign Sanders for a great price when they picked him up as a free agent before the 2013 season. He agreed to a three-year contract worth $15 million with $6 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $5 million. That ranks 26th for all receivers in average salary per year, a number that is too low for one of the best in the game.

Entering the final year of his contract, there was some concern that perhaps Sanders would hold out for more money. After one day of offseason workouts, that narrative has changed.

Sanders says he’s not worried about his contract situation at this time.

“I want to be a Bronco for a long time. I want to retire a Bronco. Hopefully, everything works out. I’m sure both sides will come to something.” Sanders concluded, “We’re going to see how it goes, but right now, it’s not about me. It’s about this team and about winning championships, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

The quarterback controversy in the Mile High City is not a concern for Sanders. He’s largely tuning out what is going on the Denver airwaves on a daily basis. Sanders is not thinking about money, as he feels confident that something will get worked out when the time is right.

In fact, Sanders seems to be focused on only one thing right now.

“I want to bring another [Super Bowl] parade to the center of Denver,” he said. “We’ve got a new team, but the same goals, and that’s to win a championship.”

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.