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.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Fans Now Wait For What Comes Next With AJ Maddox
Ole Miss is waiting on another off-field matter after junior backup quarterback AJ Maddox was arrested Tuesday morning in Lafayette County on a simple domestic violence charge, according to the sheriffs department. Maddox was booked on an allegation that he attempted, by physical menace, to put a domestic victim in fear of imminent serious bodily harm, and no bond amount has been disclosed.
For the Rebels, the timing adds another layer of uncertainty around a player who sits behind the starting quarterback but still occupies an important spot on the roster. What happens next will now fall to the school and the legal process, leaving Ole Miss fans watching for any response from the program and any further details from the case. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Suddenly Has A Real Opening In The Playoff Race
The 12-team College Football Playoff has already changed the way the sport feels, and this season has only sharpened the edge of that reality. Instead of one or two programs separating from the pack, college football has been a weekly shuffle of contenders, with teams like Boise State, Indiana, Miami and Ole Miss all moving through a landscape where no one has yet taken clear control in 2026.
For the Rebels, that chaos is more opportunity than obstacle. Ole Miss has put itself in position to matter in the playoff race, and the broader picture around the SEC suggests the path to a national title bid may be more open than usual. The hard part, as always, is turning a favorable setup into something lasting, especially with so much of the season still waiting to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Can Push Texas To The Brink This Weekend
Texas arrives in Oxford under real pressure after back-to-back losses to unranked opponents, and the timing of this Week 8 matchup could hardly be more awkward. The No. 19 Longhorns now get a visit from No. 7 Ole Miss in what has quickly become a defining test for Steve Sarkisians program, with former coach Urban Meyer going so far as to call it the most important game of Sarkisians career.
For Texas, the stakes go beyond one Saturday in October. Another loss would deepen the damage to a season that was supposed to carry College Football Playoff expectations, and it would only sharpen the scrutiny on a team that entered the year with far bigger ambitions. From Ole Miss side, it is a chance to keep the pressure high and potentially turn a talented opponents season into something far more complicated. [Read more 🡒]