Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has a new accessory … a bright green football!

Peyton carried the ball with him throughout the first practice of the season on Wednesday. When asked about the reasoning behind the ball, he declined to share any information.

“That’s Denver Broncos offensive business,” he said. Manning was then asked if his ball had anything to do with the green ball that Demaryius Thomas decided to carry after a series of fumbles.

Again, he refused to explain. “Like I said, that’s official Denver Broncos offensive business, right? It’s kind of an A and B conversation and you can C your way out of it,” Manning joked.

On a more serious note, Manning said that he was excited to get back to practice after the biggest defeat of his career at the Super Bowl.

“I think a lot of guys were excited for this day,” Manning said, talking about the returning injured players and the free-agent newbies. “With the way the schedule is set up now, it’s pretty restricted time that you’re allowed to be with the coaches. We’re trying to put in the offense, trying to install it, trying to work on timing with the newer players. You certainly would be disappointed if everybody was not here.”

And when Manning isn’t on the field, he explains that he is not sitting around. He is always looking for something to keep him busy. “Staying active, that’s what I try to do. I don’t really enjoy just sitting around doing nothing,” Manning said. “I rarely get a chance to do that. Anytime I’m home, I’m playing, playing a lot of tee ball right now with the kids and staying pretty busy there.”

Image via Wikimedia Commons