Teams Targeting Peyton Manning As GM?

Despite making frequent public appearances, including Sunday for a jersey-retirement ceremony in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning has not been involved in football since retiring from the Broncos in March 2016. However, the future Hall of Fame quarterback plans to change that soon.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports Manning “will be back in the NFL next year as a GM,” mentioning the Rams, Browns and Titans as possible landing spots (via Mike Jurecki of Arizonasports.com, on Twitter).

This is indeed strong language regarding Manning accepting a GM job when none are as of now available, but the 41-year-old recent retiree has been connected to both the Titans and Browns as a possible executive and would certainly be a coveted commodity among teams for a front office position.

However, the rumblings connecting Manning to the Titans and Browns were at their strongest in 2015 — when neither Tennessee’s nor Cleveland’s current power structures were in place. Jon Robinson took over as Titans GM in 2016, and Sashi Brown began a polarizing tenure as Browns executive VP that year as well. The Browns’ job could well be available if the team continues to crater like this, but it’s also debatable if Manning would consider the position given the franchise’s lack of success since rebooting.

The Rams were once listed as a possible Manning suitor if he were to have continued playing in 2016 rather than retiring. Los Angeles has Les Snead operating in his sixth season as GM, and while Snead’s tenure hasn’t been especially successful, the franchise kept him around to make a second coaching hire this offseason.

An arrangement like the one the Jaguars now have with Tom Coughlin presiding over GM Dave Caldwell could seemingly be a consideration, and Jurecki notes one of these teams could offer Manning an ownership stake as well. Manning was also connected to the Colts’ GM role before Jim Irsay confirmed that wasn’t a path considered this offseason. A high-level Indianapolis exec job would be waiting for Manning, should he want it, however.