ESPN and Fox once bet $10,000,000 on sign Peyton Manning post retirement
Peyton Manning is only partially in the broadcasting game. The former NFL quarterback occasionally works the Monday Night Football games with his brother. This is unlike a lot of former players who either go into coaching or broadcasting following their career.
For example, Tom Brady is set to join FOX as a broadcaster next season for a stunning amount of money. Greg Olsen already did that. So did Ronde Barber and many other ex-NFL stars.
Not Manning, though. The two-time Super Bowl winner hasn't joined a broadcast team officially, though it was not for a lack of trying. Per reports, both ESPN and FOX once attempted to court the five-time MVP.
Awful Announcing reported back in 2018, two years after his official retirement, that Manning was in high demand:
"Both ESPN and Fox are willing to offer Manning $10 million a year to call their high-profile packages. Such a contract would make the former quarterback one of the highest paid on-air employees at either network."
Understandably, the networks desperately wanted the former Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts quarterback. He's one of the most knowledgeable players in NFL history who also played in the modern era, so his knowledge and experience is more current.
He's also very funny and has appeared on SNL and comedy shows to prove it. The Manningcast is popular partly because of Peyton's humor. That plays well with audiences. Manning has a lot of charisma and personality, making him a perfect candidate to call a game.
Peyton Manning would have aced the broadcasting game
A source put it this way:
“Peyton Manning is Tony Romo with a Super Bowl ring. This is a battle for the Midwest. He’s super-popular in the Midwest. He’s got this ‘Aw Shucks,’ thing down pat. The Mannings are the first family of football.”
Tony Romo has been a hit with fans, so why wouldn't Peyton Manning have been? He likely would have been if the Manningcast is any indication.
Unfortunately, Manning did not take the bait and join either FOX or ESPN. His Manningcast, though it airs on ESPN, is of his own production company and he's not a part of the official network's broadcasting crew.
That also means he likely won't be stopping any time soon. He enjoys doing the cast with his brother, so a switch over to a full-time network job is very unlikely.