Denver Broncos

Report: Broncos asked Peyton Manning to take $10M paycut

Published Jun. 25, 2015 12:18 a.m. ET

foxsports

Don’t ask a player to take a pay cut unless you’re prepared to walk away from him.

It’s an old adage NFL general managers live by. And it might’ve been what John Elway was prepared to do if Peyton Manning declined to help with cap relief, according to 9News in Denver.

Top-level Broncos source adds team never considered trading Peyton Manning. Team focused on Manning returning with paycut. Period. #9News
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) June 24, 2015

Peyton Manning would've been making Sam Bradford money if he accepted that salary. The two sides settled on a $4 million decrease, but maybe not before the team shopped their QB to the Texans.

The Broncos have aggressively denied trade talks involving Manning -- but not the equally-aggressive initial figures reported by Klis.

(h/t SportingNews)