Ray Lewis says the Ravens came far closer than most people realized to landing Peyton Manning in 2012.
On a recent appearance, the Hall of Fame linebacker said he was just moments away from getting Manning to choose Baltimore after the quarterback hit free agency.
“I was literally 30 seconds away from Peyton Manning saying yes to come to Baltimore,” Lewis explained.
Lewis said the pitch happened over drinks, and he tried to sell Manning on the idea of pairing one of the game’s great offensive minds with Baltimore’s defense.
“Me and him were sitting at the bar for hours, and I'm saying, look, if I put you on one side, you leave me on the other side, and me and you go at this thing together,” Lewis said. “I sold him, I sold him, I sold him, I sold him. Then at the last minute, he ended up staying home.”
Instead, Manning signed with the Denver Broncos, and the two legends ended up meeting on opposite sides in the 2013 AFC Divisional Round. That game, now remembered as the “Mile High Miracle,” showed exactly why Baltimore wanted him so badly.
Manning went 28 of 43 for 290 yards, but the Ravens’ defense answered with two interceptions. Lewis was everywhere in the cold, finishing with 17 tackles, and the second pick came in overtime before Justin Tucker drilled the game-winner to send Baltimore to a 38-35 win.
The Ravens later won the Super Bowl, but the story Lewis told makes one thing clear: Baltimore was very close to adding Manning to the mix, and football fans can still wonder what that partnership might have looked like.
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