Matt Ryan Shares Funny Peyton Manning Story From 2017 NFC Championship

Matt Ryan

Getty Matt Ryan shared a hilarious story about Peyton Manning during his introductory press conference with the Indianapolis Colts.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was known for his game study and preparation during his NFL career. New Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan confirmed that with a funny story featuring Manning from 2017.

“I remember in Atlanta when we won the NFC Championship in 2016, so it would have been January of ’17,” Ryan said during his Colts introductory press conference on March 22. “We left the stadium, and I was at dinner with my family. We were kind of celebrating and the first call I got was from Peyton [Manning], and he was like, ‘All right, here’s how you’re going to map out your next two weeks.’

“I’m like, man, we just won this game. I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

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Peyton Manning One Step Ahead

As usual, Manning was one step ahead — even of another all-time great quarterback, Ryan, who made his first and only Super Bowl appearance in February 2017.

Manning’s call to Ryan in the hours after the Atlanta Falcons knocked off the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game left the Falcons quarterback extremely impressed.

“I just remember being like man, he’s like a step ahead of me on the preparation part of it, of getting ready for that Super Bowl in two weeks,” Ryan said. “He was so kind, his wife Ashley was so kind to my wife of giving her advice in what we should do in regards to this week and that week in that case and in different cases throughout my career.

“He’s the best, he is.”

Ironically, Ryan and Manning are two of four quarterbacks over the last 10 years who won league MVP and lost the Super Bowl in the same season. The other two were Tom Brady in 2017 and Cam Newton in 2015.

Manning also won NFL MVP and lost the Super Bowl with the Colts during the 2009 season.


Matt Ryan Following in Peyton Manning’s Footsteps

Ryan has more in common with Manning than just winning an MVP and losing a Super Bowl.

Manning spent 14 years with the Colts before finishing his career with the Denver Broncos. Ryan also remained with the team that drafted him for 14 years. Ryan is now headed to his second NFL city, ironically, the place where Manning called home for a majority of his career.

It’s only fitting that Ryan’s career has mirrored Manning’s in many ways since, at a young age, the new Colts signal caller wanted to emulate the five-time MVP.

“To follow in the footsteps of Peyton Manning, who for me growing up was exactly who I wanted to be,” Ryan said. “I’ve gotten the chance to get to know him during my career, and there’s not a better representative for this organization other than him and not a better mentor I could have asked to have had than him.”

“He’s one of the best players in the history of our game, and I’m certainly lucky that I’ve had a relationship that’s been strong enough that he would help me in certain situations.”

The Colts would love Ryan to follow in Manning’s footsteps and lead the organization to a Super Bowl.

Ryan will be aiming to become just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to start in the Super Bowl for two different teams. Manning, along with Brady, Kurt Warner and Craig Morton, are the signal callers that have accomplished that feat.