While Peyton Manning is likely enjoying retirement, cashing in checks for Nationwide commercials, "The Sheriff," may at least consider a return to the Indianapolis Colts — just not as a field general.
As picked up by SB Nation, two well-informed media personalities (John Michael Vincent and Bob Kravitz) discussed on 1070 the Fan the possibility of Jim Irsay bringing in Manning to replace general manager Ryan Grigson.
Here's what they said, as transcribed by SB Nation:
JMV: Well, honestly, things - what I've heard - are most recently there's not the clearest of visions and/or paths right now, which would have to worry people that would think that a change should and will be made, and this is what I get a lot, and I don't know if you are as well: how much do you think he would really like to bring Peyton Manning back in some type of organizational position here, because listen, these things are too strong for them all to be wrong here.
Kravitz: I think a whole lot. And again, let me preface this by saying I don't know for sure. But it would not shock me if Peyton Manning came back on the white horse. It wouldn't shock me to find out later on down the line that Jim has been putting the full court press on him. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me in the least, because that's one of the things that's come across my desk.
JMV: Clearly you've heard the stories of the reunion weekend and the late night conversations about this that are leading us down this particular path.
Kravitz: Yeah. Yeah. That, yeah, there's a lot of stuff going on. And another guy to keep your eye on, and again these guys are still employed so I feel a little weird talking about it, but Jon Gruden, who I know always comes up every year for every opening, has made it very, very clear that the one quarterback he'd be interested in coming back for is Andrew Luck.
There's plenty to take in here.
After seeing the success of John Elway in Denver, would Indy really take a chance on Manning as the team's general manager? He's as smart as they come, and if they put him in a position to succeed with the right people are him, maybe they can make it work.
And then there's the nugget at the end involving Jon Gruden. He's been linked to every major opening, but reports out of Bristol detail Gruden isn't going anywhere (right now).
