“Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning played Sunday’s divisional-round playoff game and the past month of the season with a torn right quadriceps, two sources told ESPN.

Manning initially injured his thigh when he rolled out right to throw a 12-yard completion to Emmanuel Sanders late in the first half of Denver’s Dec. 14 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

After the game, Manning said he injured his leg throwing to Sanders. There was some thought that he got hurt on an 8-yard completion to Sanders with 2:43 to play in the first half, three plays before he left the field and went into the tunnel to the visitors’ locker room. But after the completion on the rollout with 5:39 left, Manning can be seen flexing his leg and grimacing as he moves to call the next play.

Manning has a torn rectus femoris, one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps. The affected muscle runs from the pelvis to its attachment just below the knee. The bruising from the injury was so severe, it had spread to the back of his leg, a source with knowledge of the injury told ESPN.

Broncos doctors knew about the injury, and Manning did what he could to intentionally conceal the injury from as many people as possible, sources said. Manning had been listed on each of Denver’s injury reports following the Dec. 14 game as having an injured thigh. Listing the severity on the report is not required.”

via Peyton Manning of Denver Broncos played with torn right quad for the last month of the season – ESPN.

Only Cabrera is on that level. SO sad, recover strong, G.