Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has had an illustrious career coaching quarterbacks. Among the finest Arians worked with was the legendary Peyton Manning, from 1998-2000.
This brings us to the point of the article, which focuses on an exchange between Manning and Arians during the 1999 season. And it’s absolutely grand.
“Midway through the fourth quarter of the game, with the outcome already decided, Peyton was so frustrated that he asked for mercy,” Arians explained via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “He wanted to be pulled from the game.”
Arians went on record to answer with this to Manning.
‘”F–k no, get back in there,’ I told him,” Arians explains. “‘We’ll go no-huddle and maybe you’ll learn something. You can never ask to come out. You’re our leader. Act like it.’”`
We can only imagine the look on Manning’s face after Arians schooled him.
Arians described that Manning got back in the game and eventually led a series of plays that resulted in a touchdown, per the report. The next time the Colts played the Patriots they won. Arians credits it to calling out Manning’s footwork even though nothing was actually wrong with it.
Arians will be releasing a book called The Quarterback Whisperer that comes out next Tuesday. It focuses on how to build an elite quarterback.
And, that he did indeed help Manning become. Manning will eventually enter the Hall of Fame and likely has not forgotten what he learned from Arians back at the beginning of his career.