Stampede Blue on Peyton Manning

Colts reportedly made first call to Manning for GM role; franchise has pursued him for leadership positions before.

The Colts' first call following Chris Ballard's firing was reportedly to Peyton Manning, according to Dan Patrick's sourcing. This is not the first time the franchise has pursued Manning for a leadership role; in early 2017, owner Jim Irsay made a strong push to bring Manning in as team president, paired with Jon Gruden as head coach. At that time, Manning privately felt he wasn't ready for an NFL GM job, and there was speculation he would require a minor ownership stake to seriously consider a top football leadership position. The source suggests Manning makes more sense as President of Football Operations—a role similar to John Elway's with Denver and Matt Ryan's with Atlanta—overseeing the football department while a savvy general manager handles day-to-day operations, player personnel, and scouting. This arrangement would align with Manning's off-field interests with Omaha Productions and family commitments.

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