ENGLEWOOD – Peyton Manning read last month that in NFL circles his name has become synonymous with work, as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones challenged quarterback Tony Romo to put in “Peyton Manning-type time on the job.”
Manning told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday he was flattered by the idea that he is the NFL standard-bearer for how to do the job of an NFL quarterback.
“I guess I would take that as a flattering comment. It’s not really for me to weigh in on what’s going on there (in Dallas),” Manning said. “But I have always thought a quarterback has to put in time on the cerebral side of the game because there’s much more to it that just the physical side of it.”
Romo has endured criticism in the past for his choices away from the Cowboys facility, from a long-ago relationship with singer Jessica Simpson, to a vacation in Mexico or time spent on the golf course. Manning, too, has a full schedule of off-field commitments during the offseason, yet has a sterling reputation for his near-obsessive study habits and practice routine.
“I don’t think that I do any more than any quarterback should. I get asked, ‘How much film do you watch?’ I’ve never logged hours. I’ve always watched enough to get myself ready to play,” Manning said. “The cerebral part of the game has always been something where I had to get my edge. I really study the opponent, study myself, study my own players, my own routes.”
Romo will have plenty of time now to study game film. The Cowboys announced Tuesday that Romo will be unable to participate in any on-field work during organized team activities after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst on his back. Romo, who signed a six-year contract extension worth $108 million in March, might be able to participate in the Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp in June.
