Nick Saban Voices that he Doesn't Believe Peyton Manning and Gase Visits were against NFL CBA Rules

Report: Nick Saban doesn't believe visits with Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning, Adam Gase broke NFL rules

Photo Courtesy: +Denver Broncos (AP)

Nick Saban doesn't believe anything wrong occurred two weeks ago when Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and offensive coordinator Adam Gase visited Alabama.

In an interview Friday with The Denver Post, Saban said he never met together with Manning and Gase to discuss football-related topics. The +NFL is investigating the matter because it does not allow players to have individual meetings with coaches before teams begin their offseason workouts.

"I'm like shocked that anybody would think someone did anything wrong on their part," Saban told The Post. "I never met with Adam. When I talked with him I talked about his family. Peyton, we talked an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Adam had been talking to our assistant coaches. I never talked with Adam about football."

Gase and Manning arrived separately, Saban told +The Denver Post.

"Peyton had called and said he wanted to drop by," Saban told The Post. "Adam had already been around for a couple days when Peyton showed up. It was kind of a coincidence that they were around at the same time. I don't know if they left together but I know they didn't arrive here together."

On Thursday, Saban said Manning and Gase "were just making some visits." He lauded Manning, a future Hall of Fame quarterback, for his desire to learn and said the experience was mutually beneficial.

"Since they're a no-huddle team, we had a lot of questions for them, in terms of what gives them problems and what defensive teams do that gives them problems," Saban said Thursday. "That was kind of a mutual, hopefully beneficial -- I know it was a benefit to us. I hope it was a benefit to them as well."

Gase, one of the rising coaching stars in the +NFL, and Saban date back to the +Alabama Crimson Tide coach's days at +Michigan State Athletics. Gase also worked under Saban as a graduate assistant and recruiting assistant at +LSU Football.

Manning has also made visits to +The University of Oklahoma and +Oklahoma State Athletics during the offseason, according the The Post.