Peyton Manning meets with the Broncos

Just days after his emotional farewell with the Colts, highly prized free agent quarterback and generous tipper Peyton Manning kicked off his recruitment tour Friday with a meeting in Denver with Broncos brass.

According to the Denver Post, Manning was picked up by a private jet in Miami, where he has a home, to fly him to Colorado. Along the way, it stopped in Stillwater, Okla., to pick up vice president of football operations John Elway, head coach John Fox, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and general manager Brian Xanders, who all attended the pro day of Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden.

Once at Broncos headquarters, Manning reportedly received a tour of the facility from Elway and Fox, but Manning did not go through a workout. Contract talks reportedly weren’t expected to take place, either.

Despite a local TV station busting into gratuitous breaking news coverage that would suggest otherwise, there’s nothing much to make yet of this rendezvous. Even though the Broncos were first on Manning’s tour, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the leader on his list. Manning is also expected to meet with the Dolphins and Cardinals soon.

But it is kind of funny how the Broncos are trying to make a play for Manning when Elway just three weeks ago gave his ringing endorsement of Tim Tebow. Could Tebow be placed in an understudy role as he learns from one of the greatest passers in history? Or does the team think Tebow is better disposed as a package player? Or could this (cue dramatic music) spell the end for Tebowmania in Denver?

Photo credit: Brian Spurlock, US Presswire