{"id":244745,"date":"2025-09-04T10:00:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T14:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=244745"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:37:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T19:37:51","slug":"peyton-manning-the-2025-broncos-are-made-of-the-right-stuff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/09\/04\/peyton-manning-the-2025-broncos-are-made-of-the-right-stuff\/","title":{"rendered":"Peyton Manning: the 2025 Broncos Are \u201cMade of the Right Stuff\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been almost ten years since Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning<\/a> led the Denver Broncos<\/a> to their third Super Bowl title. The five-time league MVP still casts a long and broad shadow over Empower Field, and whenever he opines about the state of the franchise, everyone tends to give their undivided attention.<\/p>\n

Manning seems more confident heading into 2025. More so than in recent past seasons, he thinks this year could ultimately mark a turning point.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\"RJ
Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) hands off to Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (37) against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A Lot To Be Confident About<\/h3>\n
Manning was asked about the atmosphere in the team’s facility in Dove Valley under Sean Payton<\/a>. His response was optimistic and beaming with anticipation.<\/div>\n

\u201cBelief and confidence are high in the building… where we are not hoping we are a good team, but knowing we are a good team,\u201d Manning told SI. \u201cThat\u2019s the thing, there is a reason to be excited… with Bo [Nix], the pieces they have added, and with all of us expecting Sean to be around for a long time, they have every reason to believe it can result in a lot of wins. But they have to stay healthy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(Sports Illustrated)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Broncos Country has endured a decade of quarterback roulette<\/a>, coaching turnover, and more disappointment than anyone in orange and blue would care to remember. Manning’s words are refreshing. He’s not just blowing smoke; he\u2019s seeing something different in this team\u2019s makeup.<\/div>\n
\"Sean
Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton in the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bo Knows<\/h3>\n
A big reason for Manning’s rosy outlook is the Broncos\u2019 quarterback situation. After almost a decade of reclamation projects and stopgaps, Denver is all-in on 2nd-year starter Bo Nix<\/a>. The former Oregon standout’s solid rookie campaign isn’t the sole reason.<\/div>\n
Manning has been advocating for Nix since he arrived in Denver, and prior to training camp, he made it clear why.<\/div>\n

\u201cBo is made of the right stuff,\u201d Manning said in a conversation shared by the team. \u201cHe\u2019s a little bit older, carries himself the right way… I am just happy that Bo is the established starter.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(Denver Broncos official site)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That \u201colder\u201d comment is a compliment. Nix entered the NFL with more than 60 starts in college, and all of those snaps have translated into a level of confidence the Broncos haven\u2019t seen at quarterback in a while.<\/div>\n
Manning highlighted how vital continuity is for a young QB, something Denver has sorely missed since his retirement.<\/div>\n

\u201cThe continuity, more than anything else… Having that same voice and verbiage is so critical,\u201d Manning explained. \u201cExperience is the best teacher. You can\u2019t replace it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(Heavy.com)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Broncos now have stability at quarterback and head coach. That alone is a reason for optimism and anticipation.<\/div>\n

Manning Matters<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s normal for outsiders to ignore preseason optimism. Each and every team in the league thinks it\u2019s better heading into Week 1<\/a>. But Manning isn\u2019t in the habit of uttering meaningless jargon. When he states that this team has a foundation to build upon, it means exactly that.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Broncos have focused on reinforcing the offensive line over the last two offseasons, adding more playmakers for Nix, and improving a defense that already features 2024 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II<\/a>. On paper, it\u2019s the most balanced roster Denver has constructed since the Super Bowl 50 title run.<\/div>\n
There\u2019s also a sense of identity continuously evolving under Sean Payton’s staff. The veteran head coach’s fingerprints are all over the operation, and Manning believes that\u2019s exactly what Denver needs.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\"Peyton
Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; American former football player Peyton Manning before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

The Bottom Line<\/h3>\n
Manning summarized his thoughts with words that will resonate in Mile High:<\/div>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s every reason to believe it can result in a lot of wins,\u201d he said, then added the all-important caveat: \u201cBut they have to stay healthy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Health has derailed Super Bowl contenders plenty of times in the past, but with Bo Nix’s current trajectory, Sean Payton’s pedigree, and one of the best defensive units in football, it\u2019s easy to see the reasons for Manning’s optimism.<\/div>\n
After a long, long while, Broncomaniacs don\u2019t have to rely on just hope \u2014 they can lean on belief. If Peyton Manning thinks this team is \u201cmade of the right stuff,\u201d that\u2019s something worth believing in.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Main Photo: [Ron Chenoy] – Imagn Images<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s been almost ten years since Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning led the Denver Broncos to their third Super Bowl title. The five-time league MVP still casts a long and broad shadow over Empower Field, and whenever he opines about the state of the franchise, everyone tends to give their undivided attention. Manning seems […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5627,"featured_media":244894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,15],"tags":[32094,7305,233],"class_list":["post-244745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-broncos","tag-bo-nix","tag-denver-broncos-news","tag-peyton-manning"],"modified_by":"Michael Zimmelman","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5627"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244745"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":244895,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244745\/revisions\/244895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}