When Tebowmania was happening in Denver, Broncos players dutifully said it wasn't a distraction. Now that Tebow is gone, they all seem happy for the change.
"To be honest with you, it is nice just to kind of focus back on football, and we talk football and there's not — there's still a lot of excitement here with the football," wide receiver Eric Decker told KDSP-FM, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "I mean, he is a great teammate. I respect him greatly. But again, like you were saying, a lot of the focus right now is on football, is really talking about how we're going to form this team to win some ballgames next year."
Wide receiver Demaryius Thomasmade similar comments earlier this offseason. It's not Tebow's fault, really. It's hard not to suffer in comparison when one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time takes over a team. Decker said the team's recent OTA practices felt like training camp.
"Because being a younger, I think, core offensively, we need that guy to step in and take demand of everybody," Decker said.
The media attention hasn't really diminished with Manning in town, but the tone has changed. The Broncos are thinking championship, not quarterback controversies.
