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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Brock Osweiler's eye infection has largely cleared up and Peyton Manning had a good week of work.
Osweiler will make his sixth consecutive start Monday night when the Broncos (10-4) host the Bengals (11-3). Manning will be inactive again. He hasn't played since tearing the plantar fascia in his left foot Nov. 15.
After having a setback last week, Manning returned to throwing on his own indoors this week.
Kubiak watched video of Manning's workouts, but he set off a firestorm Thursday when he offhandedly mentioned he'd witness Manning's "big workout on Saturday."
Truth is, it wasn't as pivotal as many media outlets portrayed it.
"Yeah, I know. I need to shut up," Kubiak said Saturday, shaking his head. "It was a workout. It was a 'Friday' workout."
And a good one at that, he added.
"They were all good workouts this week," Kubiak said. "He probably worked out harder today than he did the other two days, in all honesty, but it was a real good workout."
Kubiak demurred when asked if that would help him decide to have Manning return to practice with his teammates next week.
"No. We had a good week. Let's go from there, OK?" Kubiak said. "It's just, 'Let's go, let's have a good week, let's work.' That's what he did. I won't go beyond that."
Rookie Trevor Siemian is the only truly healthy quarterback on the roster right now.
Osweiler banged up his left (non-throwing) shoulder when he scrambled for 7 yards in the second quarter against the Steelers last weekend and he awoke Tuesday morning with a left eye infection.
Osweiler said his shoulder was OK and he could see clearly enough "to find the open receiver."
"He's fine," Kubiak said. "We got him to a doctor I think Wednesday afternoon. He's OK."
Manning has been on the sideline the last two games but Kubiak wasn't sure if the five-time MVP would watch from the field or the Broncos locker room Monday night, when it's expected to be clear but cold.
Siemian made his NFL debut last week, albeit for a kneel-down just before halftime. Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said he has faith in the seventh-round draft pick from Northwestern if Siemian is pressed into duty.
"You can give him a large percentage" of the playbook, Dennison said. "He's been around. Certainly you wouldn't want to give him a whole lot. I feel really good about where he is. (Quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp) has done a good job of making sure he's up to date. We get him out there practicing and covering everything in the meetings."
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