Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning spent his retirement press conference talking about his past as a player.
Afterward, his father said he is keeping his options open.
Archie Manning told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times that Peyton Manning was prepared to be flexible.
“He’s got a bunch of commitments, corporate speeches,” the father said. “He’s good at that, and he’ll fulfill those while he considers some other things that will be in front of him. I know the TV folks will talk to him. Peyton’s pretty good at figuring stuff out. He won’t jump at anything. He’ll lay everything on the table.”
Peyton is in an enviable position because he has plenty of options. He made $12 million last year in endorsements alone, so he’s not in a position to have to jump at the first offer.
But beyond TV and the rubber chicken circuit, there have long been questions as to whether he wanted to get into management or ownership.
Archie Manning called the ownership question “very ambitious” (underscoring the difference between rich and wealthy), but seemed to suggest that working in a front office like Broncos executive John Elway was a possibility.
“I don’t know about an owner, but I do think administration is a consideration, along with TV and I guess coaching, although I don’t know if he’d go that route,” Archie said. “I don’t think Peyton’s saying absolutely no to anything. I think he feels like he’s fortunate to have opportunities and options. He’s pretty good at digging into stuff like that and seeing what fits.”
Peyton himself didn’t shed any light on his future during the press conference, audibling away from any suggestions about what he might do.