Manning will be taken to heart because he is seen as the true heir to John Elway, who took the Broncos to five Super Bowls
You know why Peyton Manning coming to Denver is such a big deal? I'll give you a hint. It has everything to do with religion.
There are just no two ways about it – the city of Denver worships at the alter of the quarterback. Only one name is synonymous with football in Denver: John Elway, the quarterback who led the Broncos to five Super Bowls and won two. The quarterback's quarterback, who threw the ball like a legend and ran like a mule (granted, a fast mule). And the same quarterback – now the executive vice-president of operations for the Broncos – who landed the great whale Peyton.
You see there was a lil' bit of a quarterback controversy in Denver last season, which exploded into something much larger when Tim Tebow led the Broncos to seven victories in his first eight games after taking over as the starting quarterback. But it was always clear that Tebow, even with his improbably clutch fourth-quarter performances, never won the heart of Elway. The reason? Well, the reasons? A 47% completion percentage and an average of 124 yards passing per game. Elway's career numbers? 57% completion rate and 220 yards per game. And that was when the NFL was much more run-centric than it's become in more recent deep-pass years.
And while there was definitely genuine debate in Denver over whether Tebow was the future of the franchise, there was much less over whether he was truly a fine quarterback. There were just too many wobbily duck passes five feet over receivers' heads for anybody to see an echo of Elway in Tebow. And no matter how many runs Tebow broke into the secondary, it was never going to be enough to satisfy the desire of fans whose legend had a golden arm.
There is no debate as to what kind of quarterback Peyton Manning is. Only debate as to whether he is the best to ever play the game. His rookie year he had his lowest numbers: 57% completion percentage and 234 yards passing per game. In 2010 (he did not play last year after undergoing a second neck surgery) his completion rate was 66% and he had 4,700 yards passing. He's been the league MVP a record four times, and has been to the Pro Bowl 11 times.
There are also those who would argue that Peyton has passed his prime, after all he's 36 years old and attempting to come back from major surgery. But for the doubters, for those of little faith, they need not look farther than Elway, who won two Super Bowls after his 37th birthday.
And so it is: the city of Denver rejoices not because Tebow is gone, but because the quarterback has been born again. Broncos fans struggled through quarterbacks the likes of Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, Kyle Orton and yes, Tim Tebow, for over a decade. Throughout, the devout were waiting for a true QB. One who can take a three-step drop, make his reads, and throw the city another Super Bowl. And the city that is closer to the heavens than any other in the NFL (Mile High Stadium is, well, a mile high) welcomes the return of the quarterback, and prays for another Super Bowl ring.