Peyton Manning held out of practice with foot soreness

ByJeff Legwold ESPN logo
Saturday, December 19, 2015

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- After two days' worth of work on the practice field, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was held out of practice Friday because of soreness in his left foot.

Manning will miss his fifth consecutive game Sunday when the Broncos face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field as he recovers from a tear in the plantar fascia near his left heel. Manning threw during practice Wednesday and Thursday, including some work with the scout team against the Broncos' starting defense. It was the first time he had thrown with the team since he was removed from the Broncos' Nov. 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

"He came in [Friday] morning and was a little sore, so we just said, 'OK, we'll stop for the weekend and go from there,'" Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said after practice Friday. "We'll pick back up Monday. It just happened this morning, a decision we made with what we're doing [on Friday]."

Manning will travel with the team to Pittsburgh and Kubiak said Manning will most likely be on the Broncos sideline for the game.

"He'll make the trip, be a part of everything we're doing, be on the sidelines, I assume, sidelines or press box, but probably the sidelines,'' Kubiak said.

Manning's father, Archie, told WDSU in New Orleans the foot injury has bothered Peyton Manning for "five or six months.'' Peyton Manning, in his most expansive comments on the injury earlier this month, would only say the foot had bothered him "for a while.''

Manning also has said he suffered the tear in the plantar fascia during the Broncos' Nov. 8 loss in Indianapolis.

"I just heard about that,'' Kubiak said Friday of Archie Manning's comments. "I just know his foot's been sore since we left Indianapolis. So, it's something we've been dealing with, dealing with the right way and trying to get him back to where he feels really good and the progress has been very good.''

Sunday will markBrock Osweiler's fifth consecutive start for the Broncos. Denver is 3-1 in his previous four starts with the first loss coming this past Sunday, 15-12 to the Oakland Raiders. Osweiler was sacked five times in the game and did not throw a touchdown pass, but it was his first 300-yard passing game (308 yards).

Before this week, Manning last practiced two days before his 5-of-20 passing day with four interceptions in the Nov. 15 loss to the Chiefs.

Over the past month Manning has had his left foot immobilized -- first in a cast and then in a walking boot -- for two weeks before restarting his rehab. Manning added a throwing regimen to his rehab program last week when he threw in three 30-minute sessions with the team's strength and conditioning coaches.

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