Peyton Manning will not face former Denver head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase when the Broncos travel to Chicago to take on the Bears on Sunday.
Coach Gary Kubiak announced Monday that Brock Osweiler will start in Week 11, as Manning has been ruled out.
"That decision has been made," said Kubiak, who added that Manning expressed a desire to play through his nagging injury, which NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported is a case of plantar fasciitis.
Trevor Siemian will back up Osweiler until at least next Monday when Kubiak will check back in with Manning.
The decision comes as no surprise after Manning struggled through the ugliest afternoon of his career, finishing with a 0.0 passer rating before Osweiler came on to replace him in the middle of the third quarter.
Kubiak emphasized Sunday night that Manning will remain the Broncos' starter "if he's healthy and ready to go."
That said, this is a fluid situation.
Manning is leading the league in interceptions while directing a stillborn offense that has detracted from Denver's spectacular defense. The 39-year-old's diminished skill set is a poor fit for the new offense whereas Osweiler's superior arm strength and mobility are ideally suited to Kubiak's boot-action scheme.
If the offense finally hits its stride with Osweiler under center, it will be interesting to see if Kubiak turns back to Manning in a couple of weeks.
This is not your average quarterback controversy.
As an NFL legend of the highest order, Manning has earned the opportunity to break Brett Favre's wins record and go out on his own terms.
As the Broncos' leader, Kubiak owes it to the organization and the other 52 players to put his most competitive team on the field while the Super Bowl window remains open.
