Peyton Manning gets cast off, doesn't sound like he's coming back soon
Peyton Manning got his cast off this week.
By
John Breech
•
2 min read
If Gary Kubiak's plan is to bring Peyton Manning back when the quarterback is healthy, then Brock Osweiler could be starting for a while, because Manning doesn't sound like someone who plans on playing anytime soon.
Although Manning got his foot cast taken off on this week, that doesn't mean his injury has healed. During an interview on Wednesday, Manning made it sound like he had no clue when the injury might heal.
"The idea is for it to help toward the healing process, but there's no guarantee whatsoever," Manning said, via the Broncos official website. "All the other questions and speculation, I don't have anything for you on that."
Manning has been dealing with a small tear in the plantar fascia of his left foot since at least November, although he wouldn't reveal the exactly when he suffered the injury.
Manning did reveal that the foot is bothering him.
"I'd been having some symptoms that I've been dealing with," Manning said. "It's been going on for a little bit of time. ... Timelines and all that are kind of irrelevant. It bothers me now."
Despite getting the cast removed, the foot will still be immobilized for at least two more days. Manning said doctors actually wanted to keep that cast on even longer, but Manning asked to be put in a boot instead.
"They were going to put another cast back on, and I said, 'Is there another option besides putting the cast back on?' So I'm putting the boot on through Friday," Manning said. "It's pretty much the same thing. You can take it off to shower, that's probably the biggest difference."
Manning wore the cast to Sports Authority Field on Sunday for Denver's win over the previously undefeated Patriots (photo via USATSI).
For Manning, the past few days have been a lot of the same.
"Everybody says, 'Is [the foot] better? Is it better?' The answer is, 'I don't know, because I'm not putting any pressure on it, and it's sort of immobilized,'" Manning said.
One thing's for sure: Manning doesn't plan on playing unless he's 100 percent healthy.
"Some people try to get back. Some people try to get healthy. I'm trying to get healthy before I try to get back," Manning said.
If Manning doesn't plan on playing until he's healthy, then he could be out awhile. As the 39-year-old explained, he's in a boot until Friday and the foot is still bothering him.
Manning doesn't know when he's returning, and he made it clear on Wednesday that no one else does, either.
"This is kind of when 'they' and 'sources' seem to show their heads a little bit," Manning said. "I've always wanted to meet 'they' and 'sources,' because both seem to know a lot. But I haven't thought much more than about trying to get healthy."
Several reports have indicated that Manning might be done for the year, which wouldn't be completely surprising considering that it's Week 13 and Manning's foot is still giving him trouble.
