Peyton Manning stars in promo for ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’

Peyton and Eli Manning star in a funny new commercial promoting the new ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ movie.

The dynamic duo of Peyton and Eli Manning recently added to their impressive post-career achievements with a new advertisement promoting the new film “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.”

The Omaha Production’s spot features the former signal-callers in their “quarter-zip” jackets, which the former Bronco declares are “the perfect item of clothing to defeat a death chill.”

The next scene shows the brothers joining Ghostbusters old and new, in Ghostbusting quarter-zip jackets that have actor Paul Rudd lamenting, “Damn, they stole our gear!” As a monster descends upon the ghost-busting crowd, Eli, suggesting the entity is too powerful, says that he and Peyton should flee. Peyton, with his signature wit replies, “We’re pocket passers! We can’t run!”

Check out the funny promo below:

This spot continues the success of the First Family of Football, who won a Sports Emmy in 2022 for their dual production of the “ManningCast,” as well as the successful Omaha Productions programs including “Peyton’s Places” and “Eli’s Places” on ESPN Plus.

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” debuts in theaters on March 22.

[vertical-gallery id=642364]

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

These (very serious) signs point to the Broncos drafting J.J. McCarthy (wink)

We’re not superstitious, but we are a little stitious, and signs point to the Broncos drafting quarterback J.J. McCarthy in April.

When it comes to predicting future Denver Broncos quarterbacks, we’re not superstitious, but we are a little stitious.

Consequently, two recent developments have caught our eye.

First, CBS Sports did an interview with J.J. McCarthy where they had him pick one of four photos in a series of five slides. McCarthy picked two Rocky Mountain-related answers, plus a Mountain Bluebird answer.

The result? CBS declared McCarthy’s answers matched “100% the Denver Broncos.” The Michigan quarterback did not seem opposed to the idea.

“I love everything about that state,” McCarthy said. “Obviously, Denver’s a great football town. But, hey, let’s go up in the mountains and really, ya know, get gritty up there.”

OK, that’s not conclusive, you say? Well, there’s more.

Colorado legislature recently “introduced a bill that would give us the authority to reintroduce the North American wolverine to Colorado,” the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Twitter account announced Tuesday.

McCarthy, of course, just won a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines. Coincidence?

The Northeast Region of CPW insists that they have no say in who the Broncos draft, but can we truly believe them?

“To be clear, this does not necessarily mean J.J. McCarthy is coming to Colorado,” CPW NE Region tweeted. “We have no say in draft picks for the Broncos.”

Let’s just say we’re skeptical.

As for the Broncos, general manager George Paton was asked about McCarthy at the NFL combine last month.

“He’s a good player, just like seven or eight other quarterbacks,” Paton said on Feb. 27. “We’re still working through the process. Obviously, he’s a winner. He’s won a lot. He has talent. So I look forward to spending time with him.” 

Denver’s staff met with McCarthy in Indianapolis about a week after Paul Allen reported that Broncos coach Sean Payton is believed to be “quite enamored” with the Michigan quarterback.

Denver currently holds six draft picks, including 12th overall in the first round. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Sean Payton wants to make sure Broncos’ next QB doesn’t become a meme

“Our job is to make sure this next one doesn’t have a line through it,” Sean Payton said of the Broncos’ search for a quarterback.

Speaking at the NFL combine in Indianapolis last week, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton acknowledged the team’s search for a quarterback.

“Yeah, we better,” Payton said when asked if he has embraced the idea of finding a solution at quarterback. “In this league — which is very competitive in our division — it’s vital.”

Payton then referenced a funny meme that he wants Denver’s next QB to avoid.

“I saw this humorous meme the other day where there’s a Broncos fan with a shirt on with like eight quarterback’s names crossed through them and he’s drinking the quarterback ‘Kool-Aid,’” Payton said. “Our job is to make sure this next one doesn’t have a line through it.”

Our best guess is that this is the picture Payton saw:

The above photo features 10 quarterbacks (11 if you count Kendall Hinton), but you can’t blame Payton for losing count.

The biggest takeaway from Payton’s comment is that he referenced the team’s “next” quarterback, all but confirming Russell Wilson was on his way out (news that is now official).

Drew Brees played 15 years with the New Orleans Saints under Payton. Broncos fans would love to land a QB with that kind of longevity in 2024.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Chiefs tease players, throwback to pictures of funny faces at NFL combine

The Kansas City #Chiefs showed fans the funniest faces made by their players during the 40 yard dash at past combines.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been extremely successful at identifying young talent in the draft in recent seasons.

From stars like L’Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, and Rashee Rice, Kansas City seems to have a knack for finding the best players available.

The Chiefs have been eyeing the available pool of players in Indianapolis, Indiana this week as they get a feel for the 2024 draft class, but the team made sure fans on social media didn’t forget some of the top combine moments from years past.

In a post to Twitter, Kansas City recapped some of the funniest faces made by its players during workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium:

 

The goofy visages of the Chiefs’ players served as a way to tease the defending Super Bowl champions as the offseason gets into full swing and kept fans engaged in the hype building in Indianapolis as Kansas City prepares for the 2024 NFL Draft.

Twitter can’t believe John Elway delivered Super Bowl trophy to Chiefs

As if the Chiefs winning another Super Bowl wasn’t painful enough.

After the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday evening, John Elway — yes, John Elway — delivered the Super Bowl trophy to the Chiefs.

Elway, of course, played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1998, reaching five Super Bowls and winning two titles before retiring in 1999. Elway went 17-12 against the Chiefs in his career, but the Broncos have struggled against their division rival in more recent seasons.

Last fall, new head coach Sean Payton helped Denver snap a 16-game losing streak to Kansas City that dated back to 2015. The Chiefs have been a thorn in the Broncos’ side for years, and they just won their third Super Bowl in a five-year span.

So it’s no surprise that fans in Denver were shocked (and annoyed) to see Elway hand KC the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday. Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted on Twitter/X.

Watch Peyton Manning’s hilarious Zoom call with ‘ManningCast’ guests

Peyton Manning invited guests of the ‘ManningCast’ to roast Eli Manning. It did not go according to plan 😅

After the 2023 season wrapped up for the ManningCast, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning invited guests from the show to a Zoom call so they could praise the ManningCast and roast Peyton’s brother, Eli.

Peyton’s scheme did not go according to plan.

“ESPN asked for a Season 3 congratulations video, but I’d rather you all just make fun of Eli,” Peyton says at the beginning of the conference call.

Will Ferrell then chimes in to say his “bumbling, fumbling newscaster” Ron Burgundy character is brought to life every week on the ManningCast. Not exactly what Peyton had in mind.

Jimmy Kimmel then said he would never return to the show. Klay Thompson later struggles to think of something Peyton or Eli are good at.

Lindsey Vonn later calls Peyton a “jackass.” Mike Vick tries to explain to Peyton that the guests all like Eli, but Peyton won’t hear it. Eli ultimately crashes the conference call, prompting Peyton to reveal his final (highly edited) product:

Classic.

Peyton and Eli will return for Season 4 of the ManningCast in 2024.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Broncos’ Super Bowl ring displayed on Sphere in Las Vegas

The Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 ring was displayed on the ‘Sphere’ in Las Vegas, 15 minutes from the Raiders’ stadium.

As the city of Las Vegas gets ready to host the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers at the Las Vegas Raiders’ stadium in Super Bowl LVIII, football fans were reminded of the Denver Broncos’ win in Super Bowl 50.

The “Sphere,” which is 15 minutes from the Raiders’ stadium, displayed the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 ring on Tuesday evening. Vic Lombardi of AltitudeTV caught the moment on video and shared it on his Twitter/X page:

While it’s humorous to see Denver’s latest Super Bowl ring displayed in a rival’s city, it wasn’t a prank orchestrated by the Broncos.

The NFL struck a deal with the Sphere for Super Bowl week and the league has been displaying rings from various past title winners. Even with that being the case, it’s still funny to see Denver’s ring getting shown off in Las Vegas.

The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. The Raiders last won a title in 1984.

Chiefs DL Chris Jones on what gives Steve Spagnuolo an edge: ‘He’s Italian’

#Chiefs DL Chris Jones attributed Steve Spagnuolo’s success to the seasoned coordinator’s Italian heritage.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has been among the most impressive units in the NFL this season and helped give the team a chance to defend its Super Bowl title.

Few players on Kansas City’s defense have been more impactful than lineman Chris Jones, who tied for the top spot on the Chiefs’ leaderboard for sacks during their 2023 campaign.

Jones is known as a bombastic character who is always quick with a joke during comments to the media. This week, a reporter asked him about what makes defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo such an effective coach, and Jones wasn’t shy in sharing his thoughts.

“He’s Italian,” Jones quipped, smiling. “He’s amazing. His resume speaks for itself, I think he’s the only [defensive coordinator] who was able to go to the championship with two different teams. He’s been very successful in the scheme of defense that he’s ran over his span in the NFL. It’s Spags, man. What can you say?”

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

Jones’ hilarious take on Spagnuolo’s success is sure to stick with fans in Chiefs Kingdom for some time, and with any luck, the defensive lineman can help add another ring to his coordinator’s collection against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]

Marshall Manning said Pro Bowl was ‘scripted’ after Eli beat Peyton

“You know the refs won the game,” Marshall Manning said after his dad, Peyton, lost to Eli at the Pro Bowl. “It’s scripted. It’s scripted.”

After Eli Manning coached the NFC to a 64-59 victory over Peyton Manning and the AFC on Sunday afternoon, his nephew suggested the game was rigged.

“You know the refs won the game,” Marshall Manning told Eli at midfield. “It’s scripted. It’s scripted.”

Conspiracy theorists will point to Marshall’s comments as evidence that the NFL is rigged, but a more likely explanation is that Marshall has adopted his father’s signature sense of humor and entertainment.

When Peyton broke the NFL’s touchdown record in 2014, Denver Broncos wide receivers played keep away with the football when the QB went to collect it. We later found out that Peyton had the WRs rehearse that moment at practice before the game.

The record was real. The pass was real. But the funny-in-the-moment reaction was staged by Peyton himself. It’s possible that Marshall’s Pro Bowl comments were also planted. At the very least, Marshall could have picked up on the faux beef between Peyton and Eli and he took advantage of an opportune time to add fuel to the narrative fire.

Now I sound like a conspiracy theorist.

Regardless of whether or not Marshall was being serious, it was a funny — and entertaining — moment at the Pro Bowl. Like father, like son.

Peyton and Eli’s skit for the Pro Bowl is the best video you’ll watch today

Peyton and Eli’s intro skit for the Pro Bowl was more entertaining than the actual game 😅

Following a suggestion from Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, the NFL switched the annual Pro Bowl from a “tackle” game to a flag football format beginning with the 2023 edition.

Peyton Manning and his company Omaha Productions then pitched an idea of Peyton (AFC) and Eli Manning (NFC) coaching their respective conferences and “reimagining” the all-star activities as the “Pro Bowl Games.” The NFL loved the idea.

In addition to switching to a flag football game, the “Pro Bowl Games” also now include skills competitions that are added to a cumulative final score.

Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success as the NFC defeated the AFC 35-33 and Eli and Peyton were wildly entertaining. The NFL really leaned into the brother rivalry ahead of this year’s game with a hilarious promo that featured Peyton and Eli preparing for the 2024 Pro Bowl.

“I haven’t lost any sleep over it,” Peyton says of last year’s loss before the camera flashes to the former QB literally losing sleep over it.

It’s a classic Peyton skit:

The Pro Bowl’s new format has drawn mixed reviews, but most fans and pundits agree that Peyton and Eli have made it more entertaining.