Peyton Manning has been pulled into the Colts’ search for a new general manager, and Dan Patrick says the team has already reached out to see whether the former quarterback would have interest in the job.
On Monday’s edition of The Dan Patrick Show, Patrick said he read a text message that indicated Indianapolis’ call to Manning was more than a request for suggestions. According to Patrick, the Colts also wanted to know whether Manning might be willing to step into the vacancy created when the team fired GM Chris Ballard after Sunday’s home loss to the Tennessee Titans.
That loss hit hard because Tennessee had not won a game this season before going into Indianapolis and walking out with a 26-20 victory. The Titans trailed 13-0 at halftime, but the Colts still came away as the losers, dropping to 2-4 and prompting a front-office change. In a statement, team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said Ballard’s firing was necessary to meet the Colts’ standard.
With Ballard out, the search for his replacement is now underway. Patrick said he believes Manning is at the front of that line, with the former Colts quarterback - the same player who helped deliver Super Bowl glory and multiple playoff trips - emerging as the first name tied to the opening.
“The Colts’ fist call will be/has been to Peyton Manning,” Patrick read aloud during his show, adding that the Colts would potentially be including some ownership stake in the team with a potential GM role.
For the rest of the season, the Colts have handed assistant GM Ed Dodds control of the personnel department.
Ballard had been in his 10th season with the franchise and was working in the final year of his contract.
The Colts’ latest defeat also leaves them in an early hole in the AFC South.
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