Dan Patrick of The Dan Patrick Show said a source familiar with the Colts’ GM situation told him the team’s “first call will be/has been to Peyton Manning.”

19 October 2026

Patrick isn’t a reporter we go to often here, but he’s a well-connected veteran in the industry. According to Patrick, his source said the call with Manning will not only be to get the names of potential candidates for the GM vacancy but also to “explore whether or not Peyton would be interested in being a general manager for the Colts as the entry point that would include ownership interest in the Colts.” Mannings’ connection to the Colts doesn’t need to be explained to anyone, but it’s far too early to say whether Manning has any interest in the role. Long-time GM Chris Ballard was recently relieved of his duties, and the Colts will likely speak to several candidates to fill the role in the offseason. Manning has not been involved in any football front office roles since retiring after the 2015 season.