ESPN keeps asking Peyton Manning to become its lead analyst on Monday Night Football. He keeps saying no.
The future Hall of Famer hasn’t ruled out becoming an announcer in the future, though.
Manning joined The Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday and said announcing is “not in the cards for me right now, but I can’t really say it’s ‘never’ forever.”
“I haven’t said ‘no’ forever,” Manning said. “I said ‘no’ to this year. This just doesn’t feel like the right time. I hate having this sort of ‘check-with-me-next-year type deal,’ but that’s really how I have approached this chapter. I believe in taking it a year at a time.”
Manning compared himself to younger brother, Eli, who retired this offseason. Both are approaching their post-football futures one year at a time.
“That’s what I’ve tried to do,” Peyton Manning told Eisen. “I don’t really have a five-year plan or a 10-year plan. I hear people say that. I loved playing football. I loved everything about it. I’ve just tried to ease into this second chapter by keeping myself busy, keeping myself stimulated, creating a lot of time for my family and to do some things I haven’t had a chance to do.
“I love watching the games. I love going to games. I still go to all of the Broncos games. I get to Colts games. I kind of catch myself sort of analyzing a game in my head when I’m watching it. I kind of always did that.”
Five years after retirement, Manning remains a draw nationally. He’s a big reason The Match became the highest-rated golf event in cable television history.
So Manning is going to continue to get network job offers. Maybe one day he says yes.