Written by Conor Orr at NFL.com
If Peyton Manning planned on giving any thought to retirement, there hasn’t been much time for him to do so since the Super Bowl without people telling him what he should do.
Jokingly or not, that continued Wednesday night onThe Tonight Show where Manning appeared alongside Los Angeles sports power broker Magic Johnson. Johnson, a part owner of the Dodgers, is already locked in on his Rams season tickets and would like to see Manning under center.
“I tried to talk somebody out of retirement and come to the Rams,” Johnson said, pointing at Manning. “I said, ‘Man, if you play again, come to the Rams.’ I was working on him backstage. I would even chip in some money.”
He added: “Look, look, look. He’s turning a few colors.”
Manning, for his part, played the aw shucks role he’s been perfecting for the better part of two decades. He said ‘I’m getting embarrassed’ and ‘Keep the camera on magic!’ while Johnson rhapsodized about an NFL team coming to his backyard.
The big upset here would be if this conversation was entirely organic. The amount of pre-planning that goes in to even the most tired of bits is mind-boggling, but it will be interesting to figure out where Manning goes from here. He had an opportunity to walk away after the Super Bowl and a chance to do it after the team’s parade. All the while, players and teammates suggest Manning is not done, and Manning’s own father, Archie, would only say that he thinks Manning is done in Denver.
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