Peyton Manning had the worst game of his career in a loss to the Chiefs on Sunday, and a foot injury may have had something to do with it.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Manning has a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. He was apparently battling plantar fasciitis prior to Sunday’s game and the condition worsened.
In addition to the foot issue, Manning was also said to be dealing with a rib cage injury. He completed just 5-of-20 passes for 35 yards and threw four interceptions before being replaced by Brock Osweiler. On the same day Manning became the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yardage, he also posted a passer rating of 0.0.
After the loss to Kansas City, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said he never should have started Manning. You can read more of Kubiak’s comments here.
It sounds like Manning is dealing with various injuries in addition to a severely declining skill set. His teammates have gone out of their way to defend him, but when the Broncos win it seems to be in spite of Manning, not because of him. If Peyton isn’t close to healthy, you have to wonder if Osweiler gives Denver a better chance to win.
UPDATE: A previous version of this post said Manning had a torn plantar fascia in his right foot, but Schefter later updated that the injury is in Peyton’s left foot.
