Peyton Manning has not made any official statements to the public about his playing future. But what about to fellow teammates?
Denver Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware says he's been in contact with Manning. Ware told Lindsay Jones of USA Today that their conversations have led him to believe that Manning will be back for the 2015 season.
"Me and Peyton will always talk back and forth about things," Ware said. "Now he's just looking forward to the next season and how we can get better. I think he'll be back. I feel like he still has a couple years in him...
"He just needs time to get healthy, rest. Calm the brain down. Turn it off a little bit and then hit the restart button once it's time."
The Broncos are in a state of flux right now, with Manning's future uncertain and the search for a new head coach underway. Knowing Manning's mindset would likely go a long way in easing potential head coach's apprehensions about taking the Denver job. Backup Brock Osweiler was taken in the second round of the 2012 draft, but the jury is still out on him as a full-time starter.
Manning was noncommittal when asked about his future directly after Denver's playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
"Uh, yeah, I guess I just can't give that simple answer, I'm processing it. So, I can't say that. I could not say that," Manning responded when asked if he'll play next season.
It's fair to wonder if father time is finally catching up with Manning. The five-time MVP saw a significant downturn in his play over the last month of the season. Manning threw just three touchdowns against six interceptions while averaging just 247 passing yards per game in that span.
Of course, some of this can be attributed to his leg injury, but since when do quarterbacks approaching 40 ever stay fully healthy?
