Peyton Manning Kept Inactive

© Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports

Osweiler to start with Manning likely inactive - Peyton Manning still isn’t healthy enough for the Denver Broncos to consider putting him back in the starting lineup.

The team announced on Wednesday morning that Brock Osweiler will start his sixth game on Monday against the Cincinnati Bengals in a game the Broncos likely need to win to hold on to their lead in the AFC West.

Manning will resume practice this week but is not expected to be active as the backup quarterback on Monday night. Manning practiced twice last week but experienced a setback in his rehab from a torn plantar fascia in his left foot and was held out of Friday’s session.

Kubiak said on Monday he would “absolutely” be comfortable having Manning dress as the backup if he wasn’t fully healthy, but it is clear that Manning is not even to that point yet.

Osweiler is 3-2 in his five starts, though the Broncos have lose consecutive games to the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos’ offense did not score in the second half of either of those games.