Peyton Manning, Broncos WRs and Aaron Rodgers on Aug. 12 covers of Sports Illustrated

Peyton Manning (center) was influential in bringing Wes Welker (bottom) to Denver. (Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated) Fantasy meets reality in this week's issue

Peyton Manning (center) was influential in bringing Wes Welker (bottom) to Denver. (Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated)

Fantasy meets reality in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, which boasts two separate covers featuring the NFL's best offensive weapons.

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Peyton Manning and his bevy of targets (Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker) appear on the national cover. One of the most explosive passing offenses in the NFL last season, the Broncos got even better in the offseason, adding ex-Patriot Welker. SI senior writer Chris Ballard details Welker's exodus from New England and how Denver became the destination for two of the unlikeliest free-agent pickups (Welker and Manning) in sports history.

'I'm a Wisconsin guy,' Aaron Rodgers tells SI. 'I'm here nine months out of the year. This is home for me.' (Morry Gash/AP)

Aaron Rodgers appears on the regional cover of Sports Illustrated. A West Coast kid, Rodgers has become the face of football in Wisconsin. SI senior writer Michael Rosenberg sits down with Rodgers to explore the pressures and expectations of playing quarterback for one of the NFL's most storied franchises.