Like 95 percent of ex-star athletes, someday, eventually, Peyton Manning is going to get a real job within his chosen sport again. It just doesn't sound like it's going to be this year.
According to the New York Post, Manning has turned down an offer to become an analyst for the new Thursday night football package being put together by Fox. By telling them to f-off (paraphrasing), he has now apparently spurned two networks seeking his post-playing career services as a color commentator (with the other one being ESPN, who was seeking him for Monday Night Football).
Fox had wanted Manning to be a part of its 11-week Thursday night package, which they paid $3.3 billion to acquire for a five-year run. The Post adds that there is no clear backup plan in place, but reports that ex-quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer, as well as still active(?) tight end Jason Witten, and recently retired offensive lineman Joe Thomas, have all at least auditioned.
As for ESPN, they have reportedly considered Warner, Matt Hasselbeck, Louis Riddick, Randy Moss, the still playing Greg Olsen, and "others" as replacements for Jon Gruden, who bailed on the booth to return as coach of the Raiders. Brett Favre is also considered a "long shot." So long, in fact, I don't even know why I bothered to write that.
