DENVER — Peyton Manning was honored for his community work at a banquet Wednesday night. Ahead of the event, he was asked if he had any desire to run an NFL franchise and he said he'd rather stick to his “Monday Night Football” Manningcast with brother Eli that just won its second Sports Emmy award.
“Eli and I really have a lot of fun doing the show. I think a big reason for that is I do it from here in Denver and he does it from New Jersey,” Manning said. “I think we’re very happy about being able to do it and be home on the weekends and be home 10 minutes after the show.”
Manning said the livecast allows the brothers to “still be a part of our kids' lives on the weekend.”
Manning and his wife have 13-year-old twins, Marshall and Mosley.
“Mosley plays volleyball and I go to her games from like 4 to 5 on Mondays and I drive over to my buddy’s garage and get to call a Monday Night Football game,” Manning said. "It doesn’t really make a lot of sense. And for some reason they’ve renewed us to do it.
“So, yeah, and this year we’re going to add Bill Belichick. Now, explain that! I was kind of wondering if I’ve been hit in the head too many times,” the Hall of Famer cracked. ”He’s being courted by the other networks and I was recruiting a guy that pretty much made a lot of my life miserable.”
Manning said he's eager for what the defensive perspective the former New England Patriots coach will bring. “So, to have that different perspective on every game that Eli and I are doing this year I think will be awesome," Manning said.
Manning made his comments to reporters ahead of a receiving the 2024 Community Enrichment Award from the Mizel Institute in Denver.
“I'm not sure I'm completely worthy, but community service is something that's always been important to me,” Manning said, adding he was following in his father Archie's footsteps and heeding the advice of his former coach, Tony Dungy, in being involved in the community.
Manning's philanthropic endeavors include his Peyback Foundation, which focuses on helping disadvantaged youth.
Manning said community service was important to him during his career and "once you retire you have more time to do it. So, I’ve just really enjoyed being a part of this community for the last 12 years and I think we’re here for the long haul.”
Same with his post-playing career focus.
As Manning headed into retirement a month after winning the Super Bowl in 2016, there was speculation he'd follow John Elway's path from quarterback great to NFL executive. But Manning instead has focused on building his Omaha Productions footprint and reiterated he has no plans to join or run a football franchise.
“No, I don't think that's anywhere on my radar by any means. But look, I love being an ambassador for the Broncos, for the Colts and the University of Tennessee,” he said.
He said his key fob at the Broncos practice facility still works and he said he's enjoyed getting to know the Walton-Penner ownership group that bought the Broncos from the Pat Bowlen Trust in 2022 for a then-record $4.65 billion.
“I take seriously sort of that role of being an ambassador for all the teams that I played for, but living here in Denver maybe even more so,” Manning said, adding he's "enjoyed getting to know the Penner-Walton family, as well. So, but as far as running the team, I don't think that's on my radar anyway.”
The Broncos have rolled through 13 starting quarterbacks since Manning retired and they've yet to return to the playoffs. Coach Sean Peyton jettisoned Russell Wilson after their one season together and the Broncos acquired Zach Wilson from the Jets and drafted Bo Nix to compete with journeyman holdover Jarrett Stidham.
“It sounds like they got great competition over there, that's always good, makes everybody better,” said Manning, who called Sean Payton's system “extremely quarterback friendly.”
Asked what advice he'd have for Nix, Manning said taking one's lumps as a rookie as he did is the best springboard for a successful career. Manning threw an NFL record 28 interceptions as a rookie with the Colts in 1998, when Indianapolis went 3-13. The following year the Colts were 13-3.
"There's no way that would have happened had I not played and kind of gone through those struggles,” Manning said.
“Yeah, they're going to play the best quarterback, but there's no question, I think any quarterback will tell you, being out there on the field, you just learn more things than you do sitting on a sideline. ... Obviously, Sean will make that decision. But I do think experience is your best teacher.”