Peyton Manning spent the last month battling a torn quadriceps muscle in this thigh since injuring it Dec. 14 in a 22-10 win over the San Diego Chargers.
While the Denver Broncos doctors knew of the injury, Manning kept the pain and discomfort he was experiencing concealed down the postseason stretch. Manning turned in some of the worst performances of his career in the last quarter of the regular season and never really looked right since a 22-7 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 16. In that stretch Manning threw 17 TDs and 12 picks.
Broncos source said Peyton Manning’s quad injury was diagnosed as strain in Dec. As he usually does, Manning kept details mostly to himself.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) enero 12, 2015
Sunday’s 24-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts was the fourth worst passing performance in a postseason game in Manning’s career. His 20 incompletions were the third post of his playoff career.
The bad performance, the injury and the prospect of a depleted Broncos team in 2015 was obviously on Manning’s mind after the game. In his postgame comments he alluded to the fact that this might have been his last game, saying when asked if he would return, “I guess I just can’t give that simple answer. I’m processing it. I can’t say that (he would return). I could not say that.”
Manning still has two years left on a five-year contract signed with the Broncos in 2012.
