Denver Broncos great Peyton Manning’s help is needed.
Now, the wait is on to see if the 50-year-old Hall of Famer will take on the challenging new opportunity which. There is speculation that it might already be on the table for him.
“The Colts’ first call will be/has been to Peyton Manning. The call will not only get names and suggestions, but the call will explore whether or not Peyton would be interested in being a general manager for the Colts as the entry point. That would include ownership interest in the Colts. This would be the first major hire by Jim Irsay[‘s daughters]; the next generation,” Dan Patrick said on “The Dan Patrick Show” on October 19.
“Now you have an opportunity to put Peyton back in Indy as a GM and part owner, and he gets to pick his quarterback. So now, all of a sudden, the community is going to love this. The league would love this. Would Peyton love this?”
The Colts fell to 2-4 on the season amid their second two-game skid.
Peyton Manning Could Be In Line for Colts GM Job
Patrick said, “I don’t know if an offer” was formally made to Manning, but that he was certain Colts ownership has “reached out” to the Broncos icon.
“I would expect that to happen. Doing your due diligence, why wouldn’t you? I brought this up to the late Jim Irsay years a couple years ago,” Patrick said. “I said, ‘Hey, would you ever think about Peyton as a part-owner?’ And he wasn’t interested in selling anything, even to Peyton. Now, it’s different. You guys have run through quite a few quarterbacks and you’re not even sure now if Daniel Jones is your future, which he probably isn’t.”
More than Jones, Patrick also questioned what the Colts would do with running back Jonathan Taylor–who could be of interest to the Broncos–and guard Quenton Nelson as the 2026 trade deadline draws near.
Again, much of the conversation was speculation, but the connection is undeniable.
“Do you start over now? And what role will Peyton Manning play in this? Now, I’m just kind of throwing it out there. We do this show live, and I’m thinking out loud,” Patrick said.
“This is a source who just sent this to me about Peyton Manning. That the first call should be, if it hasn’t already happened, to Peyton Manning, and would he want to be the GM and then have part ownership there? And maybe the GM just to help you with the transition, where Payton’s gonna help you get your quarterback.”
Peyton Manning Could Follow Broncos Legends Footsteps
The Colts drafted Manning with the first-overall pick of the 1998 draft. He spent 14 years with the organization. That included an injury-wiped 2011 season, his final in Indianapolis before he signed with the Broncos as a free agent.
Notably, Manning retired as a Bronco, spurning an offer from the Colts.
Manning has also maintained a presence with the Broncos. Still, his journey from player to executive would follow many of his predecessors, including fellow Broncos legend John Elway.
Elway was in his first year as the Broncos’ director of player personnel when Manning signed in Denver as a free agent. The duo helped the franchise win its third Super Bowl in 2015, the latter’s final season in the NFL.
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