Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning took a beating, but will still line up under center

Published Aug. 31, 2015 12:50 p.m. ET

foxsports

Gary Kubiak doesn't want to tip his hat, even if defenders are tipping his offensive line over.

The head coach won't put Peyton Manning in shotgun -- where he lined up over 75 percent of the time last year -- despite mounting pressure on the aging quarterback when he takes snaps from center.

Case in point: A four-play span against the San Francisco 49ers that put Manning under fire three times and sacked twice.

"I look at myself with things like that," Kubiak told ESPN's Jeff Legwold. "I feel confident from coaching standpoint we can go fix those things."

Simply put: Kubiak wants Manning under center. He strongly believes a shotgun-heavy approach spoils the element of surprise in his offense and fails to keep defenses honest.

Expect added protection for No. 18 when the season starts. Former Pro Bowler Evan Mathis' addition should help, plus the continued development of rookie left tackle Ty Sambrailo.

If it doesn't, the Broncos are in trouble. Manning is 39 years old; he can't take the type of punishment from oncoming pass rushers he was able to back in the day.

(h/t ESPN)