SAN FRANCISCO -- A few hours after a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said he and the team will enjoy the moment before moving on to the questions that will follow.
One of the biggest decisions involves quarterback Peyton Manning, who is contemplating retirement after missing seven starts this season with a tear in his plantar fascia near his left heel.
"I haven't looked too far ahead past today," Kubiak said Monday morning. "But I'll say this with Peyton -- I'll just start off with him -- the job he did this year to make his way back for our football team was the difference in us being a champion or not. What he had to go through physically was very difficult, and it was tough on him mentally. But him fighting the battle to get back, getting himself in position to lead our team again the last month, it says so much about him as a person. We all know what type of career he has had as a player, but as a person, it has been tremendous."
Backup quarterback Brock Osweiler, a second-round pick in 2012 when the Broncos signed Manning in free agency, is an unrestricted free agent. Manning has one year left on his Broncos contract, but it comes with a team-high $21.5 million salary cap hit.
"Going to Brock, our football team was that way all year," Kubiak said. "Everybody contributed to us being here and getting this done. Brock had, what, a seven-week run as our starter? We won a lot of big football games during the course of that season. So, very proud of him; he has got a bright future, but we'll take it a day at a time. I think right now, it's about reflecting on what has been done this past year, and it has been special. And I think we all need to enjoy it here right now."
Manning said after Sunday's game he would take time before deciding about retirement. Many of his family and friends, including his mother Olivia, have publicly expressed their desire for the 39-year-old Manning to call it career.
Manning said Sunday night: "I'll make a good decision" and "I'll be at peace, whichever way it goes."
Asked if the win would be his last time in uniform, Manning said, "I don't know the answer to that. Tony Dungy -- I communicated [Saturday] night when he got in the Hall of Fame ... I talked to him last week and he called me [and said] 'I need to talk to you.' ... He got some good advice about not making an emotional decision, one way or the other. I thought that was good advice."
Manning has dealt with significant injuries to close out the last three seasons -- ankle injuries in 2013, a thigh injury in 2014 and this season's seven missed starts because of a left foot injury.
When Manning was pulled from a Nov. 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs because of the foot injury -- he threw four picks in the game -- he led the league in interceptions. It took him almost two months to get back in the lineup as he came back in the third quarter of the regular-season finale and played all three of the Broncos' playoff games.
Manning was 13-of-23 passing Sunday night for 141 yards with an interception. He threw for 222 yards and 176 yards, respectively, in the Broncos' other two postseason wins.
"Being hurt, struggling early in the season, wasn't a lot of fun," Manning said Sunday night. "I was grateful to get back healthy and try to play my part these last couple weeks."