Broncos fans can take a deep breath, as an MRI revealed no new damage to quarterback Peyton Manning‘s right ankle.
Peyton Manning
Manning, who hurt his ankle during games against the Jaguars and Colts last month, went down in the closing minutes of the Broncos’ 28-20 win over the Chargers on Sunday after being sacked by defensive end Corey Liuget, who appeared to target Manning’s ankles on the play.
Manning, 37, stayed down on the ground after the hit and moved with a noticeable limp both on the field and in the locker room after the game.
With the news that his ankle is still structurally sound, Manning is expected to play on Sunday in Denver’s biggest game of the season so far, a Sunday night matchup against the 9-0 Chiefs.
“He’ll definitely play this week,” said interim coach Jack Del Rio. “He’s ready to roll and that’s good news.”
The Broncos will have their hands full with protecting their All-Pro quarterback, as the Chiefs are first in the NFL with 36 sacks.
“We’re definitely on high alert, wanting to protect our quarterback,” Del Rio said. “We didn’t do as well as we can and we needed to yesterday and we’ve got a big challenge going against a team that’s sacked quarterbacks more than any team in the league.”
In the days following his injury scare, both Manning and the Broncos have raised questions whether Liuget’s below-the-knee hit was legal.
“In the rules, there are certain areas you can hit and certain areas that are supposed to be protected,” Del Rio said. “And we thought that got into an area that was supposed to be protected.”
In response, Denver has sent replays of the hit to the NFL to see if Liuget deserves any disciplinary actions for his play against Manning.
Now in his second year with the Broncos, Manning has put together one of the best seasons of his storied career. The four-time MVP has thrown 33 touchdowns in nine games this year, matching Tom Brady‘s 2007 total for most touchdowns through the first nine contests of a season.
