Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is desperate to make a move that will not only improve his franchise but also appease the masses after two failed seasons. He failed to convince Jon Gruden to leave his cushy job as an ESPN analyst, but he’s still reportedly trying to lure Peyton Manning to come oversee football operations as an executive, per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports.
“According to Glazer, Irsay’s initial plan was to have Manning and Gruden working together, with Manning as head of football operations and Gruden on the sideline (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). Now Gruden has said no to the coaching part, but Irsay isn’t done working on Manning.”
Manning has been linked as a potential front-office guy since he was still quarterbacking for the Denver Broncos. It was once thought he’d be a perfect fit with the Tennessee Titans since he has ties to the region as a former Tennessee Volunteer.
At this point, it’s unclear if Manning has any desire to work with Irsay and the Colts. That he’d be an instant boost to team morale is unquestionable.
It’s also worth pointing out that if Manning did come aboard he’d still have to deal with the dysfunctional coach/general manager dynamic between Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson. Unless, of course, he had power to hire and fire others within the organization, like John Elway has in Denver.
This is an interesting development that we’ll be watching closely in the weeks and months to come. The Colts have failed to make the playoffs two years in a row and have failed to provide Andrew Luck with the team he needs to maximize his vast talents.
Whether or not Manning could become the next Elway to transform the organization is a question we’d love to find the answer to.