Bruce Arians isn’t afraid to say what he thinks, and on Wednesday, he certainly did that in regard to Peyton Manning.
The Arizona Cardinals head coach spoke at the NFL Scouting Combine and defended the Denver Broncos quarterback. The defense comes in the wake of a New York Daily News story that brought to light nasty allegations against Manning from his time at the University of Tennessee.
Manning has been accused by former Tennessee athletic trainer Dr. Jamie Naughright of sexual assaulting her in 1996.
Arians on Wednesday called the story “sensationalism,” essentially saying everyone does things when they’re younger they’re not proud of.
“We all did things in college when we were growing — this was just a bigger story now, I think because of who he is and what he did, not what happened back then,” Arians told reporters. “To me, it’s sensationalism. Somebody trying to get their name out there and use him for a stepping stone. That’s just my personal opinion.”
Now seems like a good time to mention that Arians has close ties to Manning. He served as the Colts’ quarterback coach from 1998 to 2000, some of Manning’s early years in the NFL.
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
