Peyton Manning has already chided reporters about the dangers of drawing conclusions from OTA and minicamp practices. That's not going to stop folks from trying to evaluate him.
USA Today wrote on Tuesday that it was "clear" Manning's velocity wasn't all the way back. Even Manning admitted that he has a lot of work left to do in his rehab process.
How Manning looks at this stage, however, depends on who you ask.
"There is very little difference between the version that won four MVPs and a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts and the one who was running the Broncos offense Tuesday. . . Manning can still make all the throws, can still read the field and can still command the huddle," Prisco wrote.
This is becoming a popular sentiment from those who know Manning best.
"He's the same to me as he was six years ago," wide receiver Brandon Stokley said.
Perhaps Manning isn't the same player he was younger in his career, but he has successfully answered many of the injury questions he faced this offseason. He has raised expectations.
The last big step might not truly happen until Week 1: Manning must show he can still withstand taking a big hit.