With Peyton Manning's return likely, what can we expect from him in 2015?

At this point it would be a surprise if Peyton Manning didn’t play in 2015.

There hasn’t been a report yet that he’s leaning toward retirement. Those close to him say they assume he’ll play another season for the Denver Broncos. He will reportedly soon start training with fitness guru Mackie Shilstone in New Orleans, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, a clear sign he plans to come back. All that seems to be left now is an announcement.

And now we can start to wonder: What can we realistically expect from a soon-to-be 39-year-old Manning, and what can we expect from the Broncos with Manning leading them again?

Let’s get this out of the way first – the Broncos are better off with Manning, no matter if Manning is closer to his December, 2014 form than anything we saw in 2013. Too many teams have terrible quarterback situations, and we know next to nothing about backup Brock Osweiler. Even if Manning significantly declines, he's still better than most quarterbacks.

A lot has been said of new Broncos coach Gary Kubiak and how Manning might not be an ideal fit in his offense, but that’s just offseason chatter, too. Kubiak isn’t going to have Manning do anything he’s not adept at doing. Kubiak worked just fine in Houston with Matt Schaub, who isn’t mobile either.