"I'm not at a 100 percent compared to what I was before my surgery,'' Peyton Manning said during his segment on The Late Show with David Letterman. "But I have made strides each season and this year felt a lot better than I did the year before. These nerves just go at their own pace.''
Manning also discussed how he tried to regain the feel in his throwing motion and the differences in the player he is now compared to the 13 seasons he spent with the Indianapolis Colts before his surgery.
"I used to sit in the mirror and just sort of go through my throwing motion trying to get the feel back the way I'd always thrown before,'' Manning said. " ... Maybe I can't throw the 100 mile-an-hour fastball any more, but I can still strike you out, picking my spots, working the plate. I don't make the same kind of throws I used to make, I try to use the cerebral part, use my experience.''
And as he said in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Manning said he has no intentions of retiring. He has participated in the Broncos' offseason program and is set to enter the third season of a five-year contract.