The Indianapolis Colts are back in the middle of another major reset, and this time the name floating to the top is one that still carries enormous weight in the city: Peyton Manning.
After a fast start that had Indianapolis sitting No. 1 in the AFC standings, the wheels came off once Daniel Jones went down. What looked like a team ready to battle in the AFC South with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars instead slid hard over the last two weeks. The Colts entered Week 5 at 2-2, then dropped back-to-back games to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans to fall to 2-4.
That downturn cost Chris Ballard his job. Indianapolis fired the general manager after the losses, and team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon made it clear where the organization stands.
“The Colts’ standard is “to compete for championships,”” she said in a statement, adding that “a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.”
Now the conversation has shifted to who comes next, and Dan Patrick, via Evan Sidery on X, reported that the Colts are aiming high. According to that report, Indianapolis is planning to pursue Manning as its next general manager.
“The Colts are planning to pursue Peyton Manning as their next general manager, per @dpshow. Indianapolis is attempting a Hail Mary to bring back their franchise legend to run the show.”
It would be an eye-opening move, but not one that comes out of nowhere. Sources said six years ago that Manning could one day run an organization, particularly if he had an ownership stake. If that idea still holds, the timing may finally be right.
Manning has already built a major media presence through the Manningcast, and Tom Brady has shown how much influence a former star can have in a front office setting since joining the board of the Las Vegas Raiders. If Manning’s view on stepping into a team role hasn’t changed, this would be a fascinating path for him.
For now, it’s still speculation. But the possibility of Peyton Manning back in Indianapolis is enough to get attention immediately.
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Packers Rookie Is Already Making Draft Doubters Look Wrong
Dani Dennis-Sutton arrived in Green Bay with plenty of questions attached to him after the Packers made him a fourth-round pick, and some pre-draft evaluations wondered whether his pass-rushing ceiling would be enough to translate right away. Early in his rookie season, he has done more than answer those doubts. He has given the Packers another useful piece on defense, showing up against the run, playing with consistency and carving out a real role sooner than many expected.
The most encouraging part for Green Bay is how quickly Dennis-Sutton has turned limited opportunities into impact snaps. Even without a full workload in the pass rush, he has been one of the more productive rookies at getting after the quarterback, a sign that his game is already playing above the projection many scouts attached to him in the spring. For a defense looking for young, dependable contributors, that kind of early return matters. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Special Teams May Be Becoming A Real Edge At Perfect Time
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Achord also singled out kicker Trey Smack as part of that upward trend, noting both his progress and his readiness as he keeps getting more game work. The Packers have spent enough time this season looking for hidden edges that a cleaner special teams operation could matter more than it usually does, and this week offers another chance to see whether the field-position side of the roster is truly becoming a strength. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Have Put The NFC North Right Back In Play
After an opening loss, the Packers have steadied themselves with three straight wins and four victories in their last five, and suddenly the NFC North looks like a division with no easy path forward. Green Bay sits second in the standings behind Minnesota, but the broader picture is what matters for the Packers right now: all four teams in the division have winning records, and each one is staring at a schedule that should keep the race tight well into the winter.
Minnesota still holds the edge at 5-0, yet the Vikings have their own offensive concerns to sort through, and their remaining slate does not look forgiving. For Green Bay, the encouraging part is that the climb is already underway, and the margin for error across the division is thin enough that every week can reshape the conversation in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]