Peyton Manning could still be a part of the Broncos ownership group

What many Broncos fans want may be about to happen: Peyton Manning, Broncos co-owner.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Walton-Penner ownership group has talked with the Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-media-mogul about joining the consortium and taking an advisory role with the Broncos.

The Walton-Penner Broncos’ ownership group has had conversations with Peyton Manning about an advisory role in the organization that eventually could mean being a part of the ownership group and having equity in the franchise, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 9, 2022

Such involvement would bring Manning a more prominent role within the Broncos’ orbit — which is substantial to begin with. He records some of his voice-overs for the ESPN “Details” series at Broncos headquarters. The team utilized him for its schedule-release video two years in a row. And he’s a fixture at home games.

Still, the public clamor for Manning to be a larger part of the Broncos has not stopped since his March 2016 retirement from playing. And as the team steamed toward a potential sale, his potential involvement in ownership had significant public support.

At his Ring of Fame induction last October, Manning joked about “looking for that three billion in my pocket” to buy the team, in response to people who asked whether he’d try to buy them.

“I can’t find it. I think it’s in a hidden account somewhere,” he deadpanned. “That’s not really on my radar.”

At that time, he noted that he enjoyed his current work with Omaha Productions. That includes a spot on ESPN2’s Monday Night Football alternative broadcast and hosting the “Peyton’s Places” series on ESPN+. He also supervises a growing array of programming that includes podcasts, corporate partnerships and similar shows to his own focused on college football, soccer, basketball and myriad other sports.

“I actually like what I’m doing now. I get to stay close to the game. The one positive out of COVID-19 is that you can actually broadcast the game remotely, and I do it from my buddy’s garage. Eli [Manning] does it in his back house,” he said in October.

That work would presumably continue. As Omaha expands, it could push Manning’s net worth into a range where some day, he might be in position to be a team’s primary owner.

And an advisory and minority ownership role may also be all that the current structure allows for Manning. There isn’t a role in football operations; George Paton has that locked down. In overall management, Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner are expected to assume the primary work overseeing the team on a day-to-day basis.

But for now, a limited role would allow him to keep his life in balance. And that is something he values, which is part of why he loves covering games remotely.

“I get to coach [my son] Marshall’s flag football team,” he said in October. I went to a doubleheader softball game to see [my daughter] Mosley play. If you’re broadcasting [games in person], you can’t do that, right? I still get to be a fan of the game.”

Just maybe a fan with some skin in the game once again.

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