Peyton Manning: Broncos' Russell Wilson, Colts' Matt Ryan will handle high expectations well

Back in early April, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning explained how he had spoken with one-time Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson "a number of times" after Wilson was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos. Manning was attached to the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 through the 2011 NFL season before he joined the Broncos and ultimately guided them to a Super Bowl title, so he knows a thing or two about winning the biggest of games under the brightest of spotlights with multiple franchises. 

Of course, Wilson wasn't the only big-name quarterback to switch teams this offseason. The Atlanta Falcons struck out in their pursuit of Deshaun Watson and then traded Matt Ryan to the Colts, Manning's old stomping grounds, in March.

Per Michael Baca of the NFL's website, "The Sheriff" spoke during the Manning Passing Camp on Friday about what he expects to see from Wilson and Ryan during their first seasons with their new employers. 

"I mean, look, obviously when you play quarterback in the NFL there's certainly expectations. I think Russell and Matt, they have high expectations for themselves," Manning said. "They want to work together with the team, get on the same page and want to help the team win and do their part. So, I think both of them will handle that well."

Manning added he spoke with both Wilson and Ryan "during the process" of changing teams for the first time in their careers. 

"For Matt, in particular, he kind of mentioned that Atlanta was looking for possibly a trade and he was asking about Indy," Manning added during his comments. "I just kind of really liked that match. I thought it would be great for Matt in this second chapter for him, and I thought it would be really good for the Colts, who I think are really close and have a lot of pieces and just could really use a veteran leader. He and (head coach) Frank Reich have really hit it off. And the same with Russell, right? It's a new chapter for him. Broncos fans and players are hungry -- we've been in a little bit of a drought the past few years and it's time to get the Broncos back to where they're supposed to be."

If nothing else, younger quarterbacks just starting their pro careers may want to take note and realize that arguably the greatest regular-season signal-caller in history is merely a phone call away from becoming a beneficial resource.