DENVER (CBS4) – The Denver Broncos want Peyton Manning to sign a contract with the team this weekend before he even visits with other teams who are interested in him.

The legendary quarterback met with Denver Broncos executive John Elway and head coach John Fox to discuss the potential of signing with the team.

A plane carrying Manning and Elway landed at Centennial Airport at about 1:30 p.m. Friday. From there, an SUV took them to Broncos Headquarters and Training Facility Dove Valley where their meeting continued for another five hours.

They mainly discussed the offense and the fact that they are more than willing to turn it over to Manning. The future Hall of Famer also took a tour of the facilities at Dove Valley.

Money doesn’t seem to be an issue for the Broncos because they have cap room and are willing to pay. The team had hoped to sign Manning before he left town, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.

CBS4 reporter Gary Miller says Manning will leave town Saturday morning to visit with the Arizona Cardinals and probably the Miami Dolphins after that. But the Broncos got the first shot and sources tell CBS4 they think that’s a very good sign.

“Manning will visit other places, he’ll visit Arizona and he’ll visit Miami,” said Miller. “But at this point, the Broncos believe that they may well be the favorites to land Peyton Manning. And indeed, the first visit he’s making is here to Denver.”



Denver is reportedly the first team Manning will meet with in person since he was cut by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this week.

Manning missed the entire 2011 season with a damaged nerve that caused weakness in his right arm and required multiple neck surgeries, including a single-level fusion in September. He has brushed off questions about retirement, insisting that — after parting ways with the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday — he still wants to play.

“This has to be exciting for the average Broncos fan. Certainly, this puts Tim Tebow’s future in doubt here in Denver and the reports that we have heard were if the Broncos were able to land Manning they would make an attempt to trade Tim Tebow. So there’s no question the Broncos are all in on Manning. They want to make him the next quarterback of the Denver Broncos,” said Miller.

“If things go the way they want, Manning will be playing for the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow will be playing elsewhere. The Broncos are determined that Peyton Manning is the man they want to be their quarterback.”

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