Peyton Manning ended his career as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. And that’s exactly why he’s not coaching his children in flag football.
In an interview with WISH-TV of Indianapolis, Manning said he’s enjoying watching his kids participate in the sport but also expressed hesitation about the team’s playbook.
“The coach asked me to be an assistant coach, and I said, ‘Coach, I have to tell you, I have been watching your team play in practice and we don’t have any pass plays out there. I cannot be involved in a team that has no pass plays. I’m out.'”
Manning is known for his sense of humor, so who knows if that’s the actual reason. It’s reasonable to think the two-time Super Bowl champion wanted to remove himself from the field and simply watch his kids.
But either way, that’s a stellar excuse. After all, Manning currently holds NFL career records for passing yards (71,940) and touchdowns (539) and ranks second in completions (6,125).
The production came at a hefty price, of course, since he spent thousands of hours during the year working to become one of the best quarterbacks ever. Manning told WISH-TV his No. 1 priority now is being a part of his children’s lives, whether it’s watching them play flag football or showing up to school for “Dad’s doughnuts day.”
Manning may accept a leadership position with a professional team in the future — he’s already been linked to the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts in front-office roles — but for now, he’s staying out of an administrative or coaching post and limiting himself to one important job: dad.