It was his 266th NFL regular-season game day, but everything was foreign to Peyton Manning. For the first time, he was his team’s backup quarterback. For the first time, he didn’t expect to play. And, for the first time, the man famous for his rigid routine threw himself a change-up.
Manning did not hole up at the Broncos’ team hotel. He did not drive to the stadium with a laser focus on the game plan. And he did not arrive four hours before kickoff against the San Diego Chargers in the Broncos’ regular-season finale on Jan. 3, 2016.