It was reported late last week that Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak had touched base with free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel to discuss a potential fit with the Super Bowl champions. While nothing is expected to come out of that meeting, it sounds like star linebacker Von Miller is pulling for Johnny Football.
Miller told the media that if he was calling the shots for Denver, he would sign Manziel. Both players were together in college at Texas A&M.
"If I had to make my decision on it, he would already be on the Broncos," Miller said. "But we've got guys in the front office that make those decisions, and they just put us in championships with those decisions.
"So I'm just going to follow those guys and have those guys take the lead."
Kubiak and Manziel were both A&M quarterbacks, and the team's need at the position is well-known. But Manziel's cloudy legal future and pending discipline from the NFL may be too much of an unknown at this point for the Broncos to take a chance.
Miller, the MVP of Super Bowl 50, has repeatedly spoken out in support of Manziel, who was cut by the Cleveland Browns last month.
"I don't think Johnny Football's days are over in the National Football League," Miller said on a recent interview with ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike.
"If you write him off, you're wrong," Miller said again in February. "They wrote me off two years ago and look at me, where I'm at today...I just want him to know I'm supporting him no matter what."
It's true that the reigning Super Bowl champions are in desperate need for a quarterback. Peyton Manning retired earlier this offseason, Brock Osweiler bolted for the Houston Texans in free agency. Mark Sanchez, acquired via trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Trevor Siemian are the only two passer's that are currently on Denver's roster.
The Broncos have pursued San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick vigorously this offseason, but the financial situation of such a deal is putting trade talks on hold, for now. Another Cleveland QB, Josh McCown, is also a possibility.
