DENVER -- Peyton Manning's right thumbnail was covered with white tape and put under a media microscope upon his return to the football field Wednesday.
Manning's throws and hand-offs at practice were unaffected by his thumb injury in his first action since smacking his throwing hand on a defender's helmet Sunday.
For the first time, Denver coach John Fox listed his quarterback on the team's injury report -- "Peyton Manning, right thumb, full" -- but said he noticed no lingering effects.
Manning said his thumb was "sore, but it's more of an irritant than anything else."
And he gets all this scrutiny. After all, he now plays in a city that 24 years ago argued the quality of Halloween candy handed out to trick-or-treaters by a young John Elway.
