According to ESPN Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, free agent and future hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning has directed his agent to get a deal done with the Denver Broncos, putting an end to the mind-numbing weeks of speculation that's literally high-jacked every medium in the sporting industry. The speculation of teams in the running included the Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers (among others quickly eliminated early during the process like the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins). Due to the schedule rotation, the Bengals will host the Denver Broncos, and presumably Peyton Manning if a deal is reached, in 2012. The Bengals are 0-7 against Manning and have lost 12 of their previous 14 meetings against the Broncos.

Presuming that they get a deal done -- and there's no reason to suggest that they won't -- the storyline will shift to Tim Tebow, who seems destined for a trade, perhaps to a Florida-based team in Miami or Jacksonville (the former seems the more likely place).