Peyton Manning and the Broncos are nearing an agreement to have the MVP quarterback return to Denver for less pay, according to reports.
Both ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Jeff Legwold report that Manning will take a $4 million pay cut and play for $15 million next season rather than the $19 million he was owed per his contract. Manning is also contracted to earn $19 million in 2016, but there are no guarantees that he will return beyond next season.
Just because Manning will be taking a pay cut does not necessarily mean he will be receiving less overall money; he could add in a signing bonus prorated over the next two years to make up for the amount while giving the Broncos more cap space.
There were questions all along about whether or not Manning wanted to return next season because of his age and health, but that seemed to be put aside last month. Then there were questions about whether or not the Broncos wanted him back. Perhaps those reports were all just part of the speculation game that led the team to ask him to take a pay cut.
