Dave Studdard played 145 games for the Denver Broncos, 133 of them starts. In his tenth and final season, though, he started just four of 11 games. After protecting John Elway‘s blind side for the five years prior, Studdard knew he was done. But he hung on for one last year and his body – and his team – suffered for it. Denver missed the playoffs in his final year, one year removed from back-to-back AFC titles.
“I knew I was done,” Studdard told Gil Whiteley on Mile High Sports AM 1340 on Monday, following the Broncos’ 17-15 win over the Chicago Bears in Brock Osweiler‘s first start in place of the injured Peyton Manning.
“Every guy reaches a point where it’s time to move on,” Studdard said. “That’s what Peyton should do.”
After ten years in the game (all with Denver) and five postseason appearances, Studdard knew his time was up. In fact, he told Whiteley that he never should have played his final season. Guys tend to hang on a year too long in the NFL, he says. As someone who’s always looking at what’s best for the Denver Broncos, he says it’s time for Manning to move on.
Whiteley was impressed with the improvements he saw from Denver with Osweiler under center, but thinks the pass blocking still left something to be desired.
Studdard says that will improve over the next six weeks with Osweiler at the helm, as will the Broncos’ confidence. With a quarterback who plays what he says “looks like old Broncos” football, Denver can get back to a style of play that features a heavy rushing attack, a quarterback who can scramble if he needs to and make accurate passes when needed. Those are all things the team and Manning can’t do with the 39-year-old under center. It may be a harsh reality, but that’s what Studdard had to realize in his days. He just hopes Manning realizes it soon, as well.
“It’s going to be very [politically correct],” says Whiteley. “Until it’s not.”
He thinks the Broncos are trying to protect Manning, but at some point the reality of the situation will come to pass and they’ll have to move on for the good of the team. Studdard wasn’t so “PC” with his thoughts.
“I’m happy as hell to see this finally happen,” he said.
The past calendar year has not been kind to Manning. Yes, he’s picked up wins and records along the way, but his play and his reputation have suffered as the weeks have continued to grind on. Sometimes knowing when to walk away is the hardest thing to know.
Studdard wasn’t the only former Broncos offensive lineman who came out in support of Osweiler on Monday. Mark Schlereth on Twitter said, “I do believe that with the current state of QBing in Denver Brock gives the Broncos a better chance of winning vs the Pats.”
That tweet was followed just a few minutes later with comments that somewhat echoed Studdard’s thoughts, though perhaps a bit more poetic and politically correct:
“Humility is also knowing how much you matter and how good you are and realizing it is because you are God’s handiwork.”
There’s no saying that the last tweet was intended specifically for Manning, but the timing is certainly curious.
Listen to the full interview with Studdard in the podcast below…
Catch Gil Whiteley every weekday from 11a-1p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
