Radio host Dan Patrick says Indianapolis is weighing Manning for a GM role that could include part ownership.
The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard, and the first name being floated to replace him is a familiar one: Peyton Manning.
Dan Patrick said on the Monday edition of his show that the Colts' first call will be, or already has been, to their Hall of Fame former quarterback. According to Patrick, the conversation would go beyond asking Manning for names and suggestions. The team would gauge whether Manning himself wants the general manager job, with an arrangement that could include an ownership stake in the Colts.
It would not be the first time Indianapolis has turned to a franchise legend to fill a void. When the Colts last fired a head coach, they handed the job to former center Jeff Saturday. Now the thinking is that Manning could step into the front office, with the added twist of picking his own quarterback as the man running the show.
Nothing has been finalized, and Manning's interest in the role remains unknown. For now it is speculation tied to Patrick's reporting, but it has quickly become the dominant storyline around the Colts franchise.