Nick Saban was preparing for A-Day, Alabama’s final spring practice Saturday, and missed the commotion.

Saban told The Denver Post on Friday night he never met with quarterback Peyton Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase together two weeks ago, strengthening the Broncos’ case that no NFL rules were broken.

“I’m like shocked that anybody would think someone did anything wrong on their part,” Saban said by phone Friday night. “I never met with Adam. When I talked with him I talked about his family. Peyton, we talked an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Adam had been talking to our assistant coaches. I never talked with Adam about football.”

Asked specifically if Manning and Gase were in a meeting at the same time, Saban said, “Only to say hello and b.s. with each other. Adam came Monday and talked to the offensive coaches and some of the defensive coaches. I know he talked with Kirby (Smart, the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator). He and I just visited casually. We didn’t talk football. Adam was with me through two different college programs (at Michigan State and LSU).

“And Peyton, we were just talking ball. We talked about particular defenses that give us trouble with the no-huddle. Things like that.”

The NFL is investigating whether Manning and Gase violated a rule in the collective bargaining agreement during a visit to the University of Alabama. The NFL forbids players from having individual meetings with coaches before teams begin their offseason workout programs. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Post on Friday that the “we are looking into” the matter.

The Broncos start offseason practices Monday. The team declined comment on the possible violation, an issue first raised by ProFootballTalk.com.

Manning has known Saban for years, dating to the Crimson Tide coach’s friendship with Peyton’s father, Archie. Gase started his coaching career on Saban’s staff at Michigan State and Louisiana State staff and knows several Alabama assistants.

“Peyton had called and said he wanted to drop by,” Saban said. “Adam had already been around for a couple days when Peyton showed up. It was kind of a coincidence that they were around at the same time. I don’t know if they left together but I know they didn’t arrive here together.

“I was asked about their visit at my coach’s clinic press conference but I never said we sat down together. Because we didn’t. That’s what happens when people assume.”

Calls to the NFL Players Association weren’t immediately returned. To protect its players, the NFLPA pushed for rules placing parameters on offseason workouts in the 2011 CBA. Because Manning’s idea of vacation is talking football, it’s unclear whether the union would even pursue a complaint. In the past week alone, Manning has visited Oklahoma State’s and Oklahoma’s football offices.

This offseason, Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and quarterback Tony Romo visited the Duke campus and attended a basketball game there together. The NFL characterized that as a non-football social gathering.