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Peyton Manning 'near tears' addressing Broncos during meeting

NFL, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers

In the Broncos' team meeting Saturday night before Super Bowl 50, both Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware got choked up when addressing the team.

"Both were very emotional and near tears," team president Joe Ellis told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak addressed the team first, telling them what the game meant to him.

"He told them he loved them," Ellis said.

Kubiak laid out a blueprint for how the team could beat the Carolina Panthers in all three phases of the game, then turned over the lectern to Manning first, then Ware.

"Peyton told a few jokes to lighten the mood," Ellis said, "but then he got very emotional [when talking about what the game meant to him]. And so did DeMarcus. The room was silent. It was a very emotional gathering."

Manning, a source said, did not say to the team whether it would be his last game.

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