When Peyton Manning retired from football in 2016, he walked into the annals of the game as a legend. During his 18 NFL seasons as a quarterback, he was known as a top gunslinger that took direction from coaches like Tony Dungy. Now in his post-career, many have wondered if the beloved Manning will strap on a headset and start calling plays from the sidelines or making trades up in the executive suites.
Now the world has its answer, and it sounds like a resounding “No.”
“I don’t see a GM in my future,” Manning said on the “Colin Cowherd Podcast.”
“Coach? I’m the offensive coordinator on my son Marshall’s sixth-grade football team. We got beat in overtime on Saturday. A couple of my players asked me why I ran the ball so much in the red zone. So, I think coaching in my future is also out.”
If you're wondering why Peyton Manning isn't coaching, take it up with his son's 6th grade football team 🤣 pic.twitter.com/iLOUCKM6zm
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) September 7, 2022
“The Sheriff” spent most of his career with the Indianapolis Colts until he was released and signed with the Denver Broncos in 2012. He spent four seasons there and took home a Super Bowl in March 2016 to close out his career on top. However, Manning did not know his next move, and his village of advisers, like his former coach in Indianapolis, Tony Dungy, gave him some sage advice: take off for a year or two after his football career.
That time settled his decision to move in another direction in his post-football career.
“I decided after that year that I did not want to go into coaching,” Manning said. “I didn’t think I’d be a very good coach. I was good at calling plays when I was playing quarterback. I’m not very good when other people are playing quarterback. Hence, my sixth-grade offensive coordinator job so far.
“Every time Jim Sorgi or Brock Osweiler went in, sometimes they’d let me call plays in the preseason, and I sucked at it. Three and out, punt every single time.”
Peyton Manning got clowned by 6th graders and that solidified his decision to not pursue a head coach career 😂 pic.twitter.com/AEgcacihrR
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 8, 2022
Still, the world has enjoyed Peyton’s broadcast endeavors via the renewed energy of Monday Night Football with the “Manningcast,” which also features his brother Eli Manning. With special celebrity guests and a unique and comedic perspective, fans have enjoyed the alternate broadcast and hoped it would lead to more Manning-led perspectives.
For Peyton, the real-world application of that is problematic. He deduced his desire to become a full-time network broadcaster like former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was not his jam. Manning prefers to have his “fall weekends to be free.” However, Peyton and his brother will call 10 “ManningCast” games this year, commencing with the Seattle Seahawks-Denver Broncos game in Week 1.
Manning will act as host for NBC’s “Capital One College Bowl,” his sophomore season, and will be joined by his older brother Cooper Manning as co-host. The show is a “battle of the brains”-styled competition in which universities from across the country compete head-to-head to win not only bragging rights but scholarship money.
Peyton Manning is still raking in the opportunities. Now he is just acknowledging his limitations courtesy of a sixth-grade reality check.
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