David Cutcliffe, the Duke head coach who was Peyton Manning’s offensive coordinator in college and has guided Manning through his throwing sessions as he recovers from last year’s neck injury, says there is absolutely no reason to be concerned about whether Manning can play at a high level again.
Although Manning has said he needs to get more work in before he’ll be completely comfortable getting on the field again, Cutcliffe said that physically, Manning is ready to do what he needs to do right now.
“He can make all the throws, his release times are perfect, and we pay a lot of attention to that. It’s arm speed and getting rid of it. His velocity is good. It’s just a matter of, like any other NFL football player, you’ve got to feel good,” Cutcliffe told Lindsay H. Jones of the Denver Post. “He’s in great shape. Not good shape, great shape.”
Cutcliffe said Manning has already done workouts in which he has thrown all the passes he would throw over the course of a game, and that Manning had no trouble.
“He could play a game. We’ve done it, we’ve simulated games, and he’s done well. He’s going to do nothing but get stronger and going to play up to his standards,” Cutcliffe said.
