The earlier quarterbacks play, the better prepared they are to play in the NFL, Peyton Manning told “Stokley and Zach” on Thursday.

The former Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts gunslinger said his philosophy is to get young quarterbacks playing time in order to teach them just how difficult it is to play in the NFL.

“It’s good to have quarterbacks coming into the league and kind of getting to play early,” Manning said. “I think that is a great way to learn, sort of learn how hard it is. The sooner you figure that out, the more you can adjust.”

Manning pointed to perhaps the hottest young quarterback in the league, Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, as an example of not just playing early but also learning from a veteran presence in Alex Smith in 2017.

“Patrick Mahomes didn’t play last year, but from everything that you hear is that Alex Smith was just an open door. He shared all of his insight and information,” Manning said. “That’s not always normal for a quarterback to kind of share that. So, that obviously served him well.”

Calling himself a “quarterback defender,” Manning said it’s imperative for the league to have good quarterback play.

“The NFL needs good quarterbacks. It makes the games fun to watch,” Manning said. “Like I said, I’m a quarterback defender. I’m kind of pulling for lots of guys.”

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.

Follow @JohnnyHart7