Steve Young: Peyton Manning will lead Broncos to Super Bowl

At a time when most people are discarding Peyton Manning and believe he has lost his starting job to Brock Osweiler, Steve Young is standing behind the future Hall of Famer.

Young said in ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” postgame show after the Browns-Ravens game that he believes Manning will reclaim the Broncos’ starting quarterback job and lead Denver to the Super Bowl this season. The topic came up when the crew was discussing Super Bowl favorites.

“In the AFC, I think Denver has it. They’re going to get healthier … Peyton Manning will be back. They’ll make a run. It will be a historic run. The nature of who Peyton is, I think it’s going to come out in the end of the year,” Young said of Manning.

Manning, 39, is out with a foot injury. He has missed two games, and Osweiler has posted wins in both contests. It is uncertain how long Manning will be out, but reports say the Broncos are in no hurry to get him back.

Young is going out on a limb in predicting Manning’s return and future success. Not only would it mean Peyton turning around a season in which he has thrown 17 interceptions and nine touchdowns, but it also would mean he would have to reclaim the job from Osweiler. Both possibilities seem improbable at the moment.