Broncos DT explains why they can't replace Peyton Manning, even after his down year
Peyton Manning's leadership is irreplaceable, according to Sylvester Williams
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1 min read
On the field, Peyton Manning rarely contributed during the Broncos' Super Bowl season. Instead, he was just along for the ride as the Broncos' defense sacked their way to the championship.
So, when Manning officially announced his retirement, the news didn't really come as a blow for the Broncos. They didn't panic. They not only let Brock Osweiler walk in free agency, but they then moved on to Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch. Clearly, given the state of their defense, the Broncos weren't fretting over their lackluster, unproven quarterback group.
But as defensive tackle Sylvester Williams points out, the Broncos might miss Manning in another area: the locker room.
"I just think you can't replace a guy like him," Williams told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "Because he's such a powerful guy that you've just got to try to figure out other ways to bring some of the energy back to the locker room, because you will never have another Peyton Manning in the locker room that'll touch the team the way he did. Because, for one, Peyton was a guy that was a hundred-percent business, so when he did speak, a lot of guys sat up in their chairs and paid attention. It was unbelievable, man."
I usually try to stay away from the topic of leadership, mainly because I'm not inside the locker room and it's impossible to actually measure the impact leadership has on the field. But it's worth noting that the Broncos are in good shape in terms of having veterans on the roster who can pick up the slack -- nine-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller come to mind. They're also in good shape because they just won a Super Bowl, and leadership stories are pretty much a non-factor for successful teams.
The Broncos might miss Manning in the locker room, but they'll be just fine without him, assuming their defense maintains a similar level of play. It's a heck of a lot easier to lead on a winning team than, say, the Browns.
