Tag: Peyton Manning

HYANNIS 01/12/24 A pop-up tribute to longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick along Barnstable Rd in Hyannis on Friday morning after it was announced Jerod Mayo will be the team's new head coach. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

Bill Belichick gets weekly spot on ESPN’s ‘ManningCast’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bill Belichick isn’t coaching an NFL franchise this season, but he’ll still be on television screens often during the 2024 NFL season.

Peyton Manning, who with his brother, Eli, hosts the “ManningCast” on ESPN — officially called “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” — said the coach will appear on every episode during the upcoming season.

“ManningCast” airs as an alternative viewing format for the majority of, but not all, “Monday Night Football” games.

Peyton Manning told “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN on Friday that Belichick will be on the show every week, likely early in the game, to share his expertise.

“That’s the idea, that Bill is going to be a permanent guest on every ‘ManningCast’ show early in the game, probably the first quarter,” Manning explained, “to kind of take people behind the ropes as to what this defense has to do or what the quarterback’s challenges are.”

The Manning brothers have a long history with Bill Belichick, who won six Super Bowl games with the New England Patriots. He and the team, which he started coaching in 2000, mutually split after a 4-13 season in 2023.

Peyton and Tom Brady were the preeminent quarterbacks of their era, engaging in a head-to-head rivalry that saw Brady’s Patriots beat Peyton’s Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos 11 times in 17 attempts.

Eli’s New York Giants beat the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl, to conclude the 2007 and 2011 seasons.

Belichick has been coveted for television jobs, and he agreed to join Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.

“It was an easy pitch to Bill. I said, ‘Bill, we want you to come on. Look, we’d love to go behind the ropes on the defensive side as to kind of what the Eagles are going to have to do to stop Patrick Mahomes, right?’And if you ever run out of things to say, just make fun of Eli, right? That’s always sort of a time-filler,’” Peyton said.

“And Bill doesn’t like Eli. We all know that — two Super Bowls — so it’s just a match made in heaven.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 4, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; NFC coach Eli Manning and AFC coach Peyton Manning react after the 2024 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Manning to co-anchor coverage of Olympics opening ceremony

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Pro Football Hall of Fame member Peyton Manning is joining veteran Olympics host Mike Tirico and Grammy Award-winning singer Kelly Clarkson as the anchors of NBC’s coverage of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Paris.

The trio made the announcement Tuesday night on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

“I took a little French in high school,” Manning told Fallon. “And I told my mother I would take her to Paris one day. Thirty years to the time I graduated, I’m taking my mom to Paris for the Olympics.”

Manning, 47, told The Athletic that he and Tirico began discussing the idea at the Kentucky Derby last May.

“I kind of argued with him as to why he and NBC thought I was worthy,” Manning told the outlet. “He said they were bringing in Kelly Clarkson to kind of give the perspective of the fan and wanted me to share the perspective of what these athletes are thinking about it.”

Manning has become a media star in his retirement, running the alternate “ManningCast” broadcast with his younger brother, Eli, during Monday night football games. He recently co-hosted the Country Music Awards.

But this will be a first for Manning — and the Olympics.

Instead of being held in a stadium, the July 26 opening ceremony in Paris will be held along the Seine, with the 10,500 athletes traveling the famed Paris river by boat, with fans watching along the route. The boat parade will end at the Trocadero, where the athletes will gather and the Olympic protocols will take place.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets helmet is seen on the sideline in the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Manning sets up Demaryius Thomas scholarship at Ga. Tech

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Peyton Manning honored former Denver Broncos teammate Demaryius Thomas by establishing a scholarship in the late receiver’s name at Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech athletics and the PeyBack Foundation, established by Manning and his wife Ashley, announced the scholarship endowment on Wednesday.

Thomas, who died in December at age 33, starred for the Yellow Jackets from 2007-09 before being drafted in the first round by the Broncos in 2010.

Manning and Thomas played together with the Broncos for four seasons (2012-15), highlighted by their victory in Super Bowl 50.

The scholarship is for incoming freshmen from Georgia’s Laurens County, where Thomas was born and raised.

“Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate, but more importantly, he was a special person and friend,” Peyton Manning said. “My family and I miss him dearly, and we wanted to honor D.T.’s memory by partnering the PeyBack Foundation with Georgia Tech to establish the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment.

“An important part of Demaryius’ legacy was the way he inspired the next generation to pursue their dreams with the same perseverance and determination that defined him. Through this scholarship to Georgia Tech, Demaryius will have a lasting impact on deserving youth from his hometown area who can follow in his footsteps and accomplish great things in life.”

The Georgia Tech football program will honor Thomas’ memory during the 2022 season with a No. 8 helmet decal and a No. 8 memorial painted on the field at Atlanta’s Bobby Dodd Stadium.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) talks with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (right) after a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Manning helping Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan in transitions

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Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning knows exactly what Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan are going through.

It was 10 years ago that Manning, then 36, found himself at a crossroads. After 13 years as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, he missed the 2011 season with a neck injury. And when the Colts selected Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2012, Manning signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos.

So Manning is serving as a sounding board for both QBs, aiding them as they make their transitions — Wilson to the Broncos, Ryan to the Colts.

“I’ve talked to Russell a number of times and we’ve had conversations about some of the things that helped me in my transition to a different team that I think can apply to anybody making the jump, especially after being in a place for a long time,” Manning told The Denver Post.

He said he had talked to new coach Nathaniel Hackett, too, “about some of those things, maybe some dos and don’ts that helped me and can certainly apply and Russell can hit the ground running here in his first year.”

Wilson, 33, spent 10 years at the helm of the Seattle Seahawks, who traded him and a 2022 fourth-round pick to Denver for first- and second-round picks in 2022 and ’23, a 2022 fifth-round pick and quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris. The Seahawks used a third-round pick on Wilson in the 2021 NFL Draft.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Wilson led the Seahawks to a 43-8 win over Manning and the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

The Colts haven’t been to a Super Bowl since the Manning era — he led them there twice, winning Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears in 2007 — and Manning said Ryan could prove the difference on a talented Colts team.

Manning said he offered an ear to Ryan as rumors swirled that the Atlanta Falcons could trade Ryan this offseason.

“Matt was kind of like me,” Manning said. “Matt only wanted to play, probably, for the team that drafted him.”

Ryan, who turns 37 next month, was the No. 3 overall pick, by the Falcons in 2008, and he started 222 games over 14 seasons and won the league MVP award in 2016. Atlanta sent him to the Colts for a 2022 third-round draft pick.

“I’m excited about it,” Manning told IndyStar of Ryan’s trade to the Colts and his chance to play for coach Frank Reich.

“I told him how much he is going to enjoy playing there.” Manning said. “It’s a great opportunity for Matt and I’m also very excited for the Colts. Frank is a coach that is going to fit very well with Matt.”

The late-career move turned out just fine for Manning. With the Broncos, he won a Super Bowl and a league MVP award in four seasons there.

–Field Level Media

Peyton Manning was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Sunday, August 8, 2021. Manning was presented by father Archie Manning. Enshrinement2021 9313

Peyton Manning: Patriots’ rivalry encouraged move to Broncos

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The thought of not playing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the postseason helped to encourage Peyton Manning to sign with the Denver Broncos before the 2012 season.

That’s what the Hall of Fame quarterback told host Bill Simmons on his podcast, The Ringer.

With the Indianapolis Colts deciding to transition to No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck after Manning missed the 2011 season with a neck injury, Manning had a number of suitors.

“I remember talking with the 49ers, talking with Seattle and talking to the Cardinals, and the whole recurring theme in my mind, I’m just an AFC guy,” Manning told Simmons. “I think I should stay in the AFC. You’d think it’d be, ‘Please get away from the Patriots, go play in the NFC.’ I don’t know, if you’re going to play in the Super Bowl, you’re going to have to go through New England, so might as well play them in the AFC championship every year.

“New England had a little role in my decision to go to Denver.”

In his four seasons with the Broncos, Manning defeated Brady and the Patriots in two AFC title games — 2013 and 2015. Denver went on to win the Super Bowl following the 2015 season, and Manning retired shortly after as a two-time Super Bowl champion.

Despite being longtime football rivals, Brady and Manning are friends off the field. Brady, the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, left training camp last month to be on hand when Manning was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

–Field Level Media

February 7, 2020; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Eli Manning (left) and Peyton Manning (right) walk on the 11th hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Monterey Peninsula Country Club - Shore Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton, Eli Manning to lead alternate Monday Night Football broadcast

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Peyton and Eli Manning will headline a new alternate Monday Night Football broadcast starting this fall, ESPN announced Monday.

The Manning-led broadcast will be shown on ESPN2 and will cover 10 games in each of the next three seasons.

ESPN will continue to air its main Monday night broadcasts on ESPN and ABC.

The Monday Night Football MegaCast will be broadcast remotely and feature other analysts, celebrities and a yet-to-be-named host.

“Offering multiple Monday Night Football viewing options for the next three seasons continues our innovation efforts and provides additional value for our fans,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Peyton and Eli will bring a different approach, delving into conversation about broader, big-picture topics while also honing in on the game, much like fans do when watching with their family and friends.”

Peyton Manning, 45, was a five-time MVP, a two-time Super Bowl winner and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021. He played for the Indianapolis Colts (1998-2010) and Denver Broncos (2012-15).

Eli Manning, 40, also won two Super Bowl championships and played his entire 16-year NFL career with the New York Giants before retiring after the 2019 season.

–Field Level Media

Apr 19, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Former NFL player Peyton Manning watches in the second quarter of the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Manning voted into Broncos’ Ring of Fame

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Quarterback Peyton Manning on Wednesday was voted into the Denver Broncos’ Ring of Fame.

Manning will join Champ Bailey as the lone players to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and be honored by the Broncos in this manner in the same year. Bailey accomplished the feat in 2019.

The NFL’s only five-time Most Valuable Player, Manning spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts before finishing with a four-year run with the Broncos. The 14-time Pro Bowl selection guided the Broncos to Super Bowl XLVIII while setting the single-season passing touchdown record in 2013 before helping the club win Super Bowl 50 in his final NFL game.

“It comes as no surprise that Peyton Manning was unanimously elected as the 35th member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame,” Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement. “His four seasons in Denver were marked by record-setting individual success and exceptional leadership that helped the Broncos to multiple Super Bowls and one of the winningest periods in team history.

“When Peyton arrived in 2012, his impact and standard was felt throughout our team, the entire organization and in the community. Coming back from a serious injury — with a new team in a new city — to not only win MVP but to have one of the greatest single seasons ever by any player was a remarkable feat.

“Peyton defined greatness as a Bronco. We’re thrilled that he will now join the other Broncos legends as our newest Ring of Famer.”

Manning threw for 17,112 yards and 140 touchdowns in his 58 games with the Broncos. He finished his career with 71,940 yards and 539 scores in 266 career games with Indianapolis and Denver.

–Field Level Media

Feb 26, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; A Peyton Manning statue on display in the fan fest area during the 2020 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson highlight eight-member HOF class

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Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson were among the eight players selected Saturday night for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, headliners of the Class of 2021.

They are joined by John Lynch, Alan Faneca, Drew Pearson, Tom Flores and Bill Nunn.

The eight will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Aug. 5-9.

Two-time Super Bowl winner Manning, Woodson and Johnson were all in their first year of eligibility.

Manning was a five-time MVP and 14-time Pro Bowl selection, having played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos to close out his career.

“It’s almost an impossible task to put into words what Peyton Manning has meant to the Colts, the NFL, the city of Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, and fans across the globe,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a statement. “His preparation, performance, and success on the field were legendary and speak for itself. Books have been and will continue to be written about the impact he and his family have made in all aspects of sports and life.”

Woodson was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection in 18 seasons with two teams – the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. Woodson was also a four-time All-Pro, Defensive Rookie of the Year (1998) and Defensive Player of the Year (2009). He finished his career with 65 interceptions (fifth all-time) and 13 defensive TDs (No. 1 all-time).

Johnson finished his career ranked 31st all-time in receiving yards (11, 619) in nine seasons, all with the Detroit Lions. “Megatron” was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro. Johnson will be the third player inducted at age 35 or younger, joining a small club – Gale Sayers and Jim Brown.

“The culmination of all the work, all the grind, all the ups and downs that you’ve been through, just to be able to excel at the level and be able to have the opportunity to be among such greats, I’m sleeping with a smile tonight,” Johnson said on the NFL Honors broadcast.

Faneca was a nine-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro in 13 NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-2007), New York Jets (2008-09) and Arizona Cardinals (2010).

Pearson played 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (1973-83) and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro.

John Lynch was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection in 15 seasons with Tampa and Denver.

“I’m humbled, I’m honored — so many people to thank and we’ll have plenty of time. To all the fans: Thank you for always having my back and expecting greatness for me and my teammates,” Lynch said in a video message.

Flores is one of only two people to win Super Bowl rings as a head coach, player and assistant coach, joining Mike Ditka. Flores won two Super Bowls as coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Nunn was a scouting dynamo for the 1970s Steelers who died in 2014 after 45 seasons with the Pittsburgh organization.

The August inductions will also include the Class of 2020 and the centennial class, both of which were canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2019; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts former quarterback Peyton Manning stands on the field before a game between the Colts and the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Manning headlines 15 finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

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When you retire from the NFL after 18 seasons with 71,940 passing yards and 539 passing touchdowns, it’s a near certainty you’ll be a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as you’re eligible.

That’s why no one was shocked Peyton Manning, who retired after the 2015 season, was announced as one of six first-time finalists Tuesday.

The former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback was among 15 finalists that will be voted on by a 48-member Selection Committee during a virtual meeting Jan. 19. A maximum of five modern-day players can be elected by getting approval from 80 percent of the committee.

The winners will be announced Super Bowl weekend.

Manning, a 14-time Pro Bowler and seven-time first-team All-Pro selection, as well as a two-time Super Bowl champion, ranks third on the NFL all-time passing yards list and passing touchdown list. He shared the 2003 NFL MVP with Steve McNair and won it outright four other times (2004, 2008, 2009, 2013).

Defensive back Charles Woodson, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, defensive lineman Jared Allen, cornerback Ronde Barber and linebacker Clay Matthews Jr., were the other first-time finalists.

Offensive lineman Tony Boselli, safety LeRoy Butler, offensive lineman Alan Faneca, wide receiver Torry Holt, safety John Lynch, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive lineman Richard Seymour, linebacker Zach Thomas and wide receiver Reggie Wayne are also among this year’s finalists.

This is Matthews’ 20th year of eligibility.

The committee will also vote on Tom Flores in the coach category, scout Bill Nunn as a contributor and receiver Drew Pearson as a senior candidate.

Inductees are scheduled to go into the Hall in a ceremony in August along with the class of 2020 and a special centennial class. The coronavirus pandemic postponed the latter two groups from having their ceremonies this year.

–Field Level Media

Mar 1, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (left) talks with retired NFL quarterback Peyton Manning (right) during the game between the Toronto Raptors against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton, Megatron among 25 Hall of Fame semifinalists

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First-year eligible players Peyton Manning, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, safety Charles Woodson and defensive end Jared Allen are among the 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021.

The list was announced Tuesday.

The four players join (in alphabetical order) cornerback Eric Allen, tackle Willie Anderson, cornerback Ronde Barber, linebacker Cornelius Bennett, tackle Tony Boselli, safety LeRoy Butler, guard Alan Faneca, safety Rodney Harrison, wide receiver Torry Holt, safety John Lynch, linebacker Clay Matthews, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive lineman Richard Seymour, wide receiver/special teamer Steve Tasker, running back Fred Taylor, linebacker Zach Thomas, wide receiver Hines Ward, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, linebacker Patrick Willis, safety Darren Woodson and defensive tackle Bryant Young.

This list will be whittled to 15 by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors. As many as five finalists will be chosen for the Class of 2021, which will be selected one day before Super Bowl LV.

Drew Pearson already was named the senior finalist, Tom Flores was tabbed as the coach finalist and Bill Nunn as the contributor finalist. Should all three be chosen for enshrinement, the Class of 2021 would have eight new Hall of Famers.

Manning is a five-time NFL MVP and 14-time Pro Bowl selection. He played with the Indianapolis Colts (1998-2011) and Denver Broncos (2012-15), winning a Super Bowl title with each team.

Johnson posted an NFL-record 1,964 receiving yards in 2012 and was named to the All-Decade Team of the 2010s. Nicknamed “Megatron,” Johnson played nine seasons for the Detroit Lions before retiring after the 2015 campaign.

Woodson recorded 65 interceptions and 13 defensive touchdowns during his 18-year career with the then-Oakland Raiders (1998-2005, 2013-15) and Green Bay Packers (2006-12).

Jared Allen posted 136 sacks — including 22 in 2011 — during his career with the Kansas City Chiefs (2004-07), Minnesota Vikings (2008-13), Chicago Bears (2014-15) and Carolina Panthers (2015).

–Field Level Media