Only four quarterbacks have beaten all 32 teams. Derek Carr is closer than you’d think, and could get even closer by getting revenge against the Raiders:
Don’t be surprised if the New Orleans Saints play the Las Vegas Raiders in the season opener. Neither team’s cachet is particularly high, so the NFL likely won’t push them as a marquee matchup. Derek Carr playing his former team is enough to schedule it as a season opener, even if it’s a 12 p.m. game. Carr certainly has that game circled.
Toppling his former team would get Carr closer to a rare feat. In his decade-long career, Carr has defeated 27 of the 32 teams in the NFL. He’s played against 31 of them, and this year he will face the Raiders for the first time.
Only four quarterbacks have ever defeated all 32 teams: Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. Carr is also winless against the Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. Out of that group, New Orleans plays every team other than the Vikings this season. Carr isn’t a future Hall of Famer, but he’s surprisingly sneaking up on a rare feat.
ESPN has agreed to a new nine-year deal with Omaha Productions extending the popular “ManningCast” through the 2034 season.
Retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has stayed plenty busy in his short post-playing career. The two-time Super Bowl MVP’s most well-known venture since he hung up the pads has most certainly been ESPN’s alternate Monday Night Football broadcast hosted by the Manning Brothers.
On Wednesday, it was announced that ESPN reached a nine-year extension with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions.
ESPN has reached a nine-year media-rights extension with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, extending the existing partnership into 2034. The deal will see the continuation of the Emmy award-winning Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, and additional Omaha content such as… pic.twitter.com/iCs9GOQ9uY
Like the ManningCast, the show “Eli’s Places” on ESPN+ is also a part of the agreement.
The ManningCast has grown in popularity every year since its start in 2021. Before Wednesday’s extension, the show was entering its final year of the broadcast given the last extension just over a year ago.
Last offseason, the ManningCast won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Event Analyst (Peyton).
It’s hard to believe that after winning two Super Bowls — something just 12 other NFL quarterbacks have done — the former Giant would have an even bigger post-playing career. However, you could argue that Eli is doing just that.
The extension is well-deserved as the show continues to grow its viewership. Giants fans will continue to tune in to watch their favorite QB commentate the alternative broadcast.
Ray Lewis said Peyton Manning is the GOAT, picking him over Tom Brady. “He made me alter my game,” Lewis said of No. 18.
The Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady debate was a typical conversation from the 2000s through the midway point of the 2010s. Although Brady won the head-to-head matchup (11-6), Manning surpassed Brady in MVPs (5-3) while Brady far surpasses him in Super Bowls (seven to two).
Manning went 3-2 against Brady in the playoffs, including two AFC Championship games with the Denver Broncos.
In a recent interview with Rob Lepelstat of STAT Sports, former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis declared Manning the GOAT (greatest of all time) at quarterback, choosing him over Brady.
“From a quarterback, and from student level of the game, he made me alter my game,” Lewis said of Manning. “He made me watch more film. And that’s what I call the greatest QB.”
Lewis, a Hall of Famer, faced both QBs throughout his career, but Manning’s well-known study habits and physical talent made him a nightmare for defenses and defensive coordinators. While Brady surpasses Manning in total stats and championships, it’s hard to knock Lewis and his take on why Manning is the greatest of all time.
Former Broncos trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos received well-deserved recognition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The longest-tenured member of the Denver Broncos, former trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos was recently recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame with an Award of Excellence.
This particular award recognizes “significant contributors to the game off the field.” Antonopulos was recognized alongside 14 additional Award of Excellence recipients from categories ranging from athletic trainers to public relations personnel. These unsung heroes each touched their particular teams in profound ways.
Antonopulos was a 45-year veteran of the Broncos, seeing them through all eight Super Bowl teams, treating the injuries of Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, John Elway, Shannon Sharpe and Terrell Davis, among the many other players he looked over. Antonopulos is also no stranger to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he was the presenter for the late Pat Bowlen’s induction into Canton.
Former Broncos trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos will receive the Pro Football Hall of Fame Athletic Trainers’ Award of Excellence, Peyton Manning announced on Instagram: https://t.co/DC1GCL0b3bpic.twitter.com/n3Uu70VxFd
This award is just the latest of the hardware Antonopulos has won over the years. In 2011, he was awarded the Fain-Cain Memorial Award, an honor given annually to an NFL trainer who best exemplifies a long-term commitment to the NFL as well as exemplary performance. Antonopulos also received the NFL/PFATS Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award (1987), the National Athletic Trainers Association Athletic Trainer Service Award (1996) and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2006).
Christensen also said anyone who passes on Drake Maye will regret it.
Clyde Christensen was one of the most respected offensive coaches in the NFL. Christensen began his coaching career in 1979 at Ole Miss. After 17 years in the college game, Christensen moved to the NFL in 1996.
After six years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Christensen moved to the Indianapolis Colts, where he’d spend the next 14 seasons in different roles, such as wide receivers coach, assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach.
During his time with the Colts, Christensen worked with a pair of well-known quarterbacks: Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Christensen was never Manning’s quarterback coach but was his offensive coordinator for three seasons. Manning has spoken often about his respect for Christensen.
While he wasn’t Manning’s quarterback coach, he was 2012 No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck’s quarterback coach. Christensen was Luck’s quarterback coach for the first four years of his NFL career and was a critical part of Luck’s early development in the NFL.
Christensen spent the 2023 season as a volunteer offensive analyst at North Carolina, where he played and graduated. The 68-year-old coach retired after the 2022 season after spending his final four NFL seasons as Tampa Bay’s quarterback coach — two of which were with Tom Brady.
In returning to his alma mater as a volunteer, Christensen worked with one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, Drake Maye. Upon taking the job, Christensen compared Maye to Luck.
New #UNC QB guru (volunteer offensive assistant) Clyde Christensen on Drake Maye:
"He has a little bit of Andrew Luck in him just that he's a deceivingly good athlete and can pull the ball down and run. Can make all the throws. He's a big guy."
Christensen was even more impressed after spending a season with Maye and the Tar Heels. According to Pat McAfee, who played with the Colts for eight seasons — all but one were when Christensen was on staff — Christensen believes Maye is “the guy.”
In speaking to McAfee, Christensen repeated that Maye reminded him of Luck but also said that anyone who passes on Maye will regret it.
Here’s the entire segment from the “Pat McAfee Show,” where he discussed Christensen’s comments on Maye.
The Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick. Will Washington select Maye or LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels? The Commanders had a large presence at Maye and Daniels’ pro days last week, and Washington head coach Dan Quinn was reportedly extremely impressed with the former UNC star.
For fans who don’t remember how great Luck was, he was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career before abruptly retiring after only seven NFL seasons.
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.
Watch as New York Giants legend Eli Manning joins the Ghostbusters in the latest promo for the upcoming film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who ya’ gonna call?
New York Giants legend and future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Eli Manning, and his brother, Peyton?
Thankfully, the Manning brothers did not cross their streams but they did partake in a wild crossover, joining the Ghostbusters, both new and old, in a promo for the upcoming film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which is scheduled for a theatrical release on Friday, March 22.
“We’re pocket passers. We can’t run,” Peyton hilariously responds.
This is the second time that Eli and Peyton suited up as members of the Ghostbusters. The first came in 2022 when they were joined by legendary running back Jerome Bettis on an episode of Eli’s Places (produced by Ohama Productions).
EA Sports is bringing back their popular college football video game, but Arch Manning opted out. Athletes are paid $600 to be in the game.
EA Sports is set to release a college football video game this summer for the first time since 2013, and the game will feature real players.
Peyton Manning’s nephew, Arch Manning (a sophomore at Texas), has decided to opt out of the game, according to a report from Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods.com.
Earlier this week, EA Sports announced that more than 10,000 college football players have opted into being in the video game. Players who opt in receive $600 and a free copy of the game as part of EA’s name, image, and likeness deal with the student-athletes.
It’s a flat fee for every player and, so far, no known exceptions have been made. It’s possible that Manning might be holding out for a better offer, but that’s just speculation. EA surely does not want to set a precedent of negotiating individual deals with players to be featured in the game.
If Manning eventually becomes a college star, though, EA might change their mind. For now, No. 16 won’t be featured in the video game.
Peyton Manning is attempting to recruit Bill Belichick to Omaha Productions, presumably for a ManningCast-style show on ESPN.
Bill Belichick appears poised to take a break from coaching this year and former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning has a job offer for him.
Manning is attempting to recruit Belichick to Omaha Productions, his entertainment company, according to a report from The Athletic‘s Andrew Marchand. Belichick and Manning, of course, were rivals in the NFL, but they shared a mutual respect and they might now become teammates off the field.
Manning and his brother, Eli, have had great success with their “ManningCast” which provides an alternate broadcast of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” for 10 games each season.
Marchand reports that Manning would likely broach the idea of teaming Belichick with Nick Saban for a “GOATCast” in 2024. Saban already has a relationship with ESPN from his work on “College GameDay.”
ESPN and Omaha Productions will have competition — executives for CBS and NBC have already met with Belichick, according to The Athletic. Both networks are seeking new analysts for their studio shows, but Marchand reported that Belichick is not interested in doing a weekly Sunday studio show.
That might make ESPN an intriguing option for Belichick, who previously worked with NFL Films on NFL Network’s “NFL 100 All-Time Team” series. Belichick is a big fan of NFL history — just like Manning — and it’s easy to imagine the coach and former quarterback creating a perfect show.
Belichick is expected to return to coaching at some point — perhaps in 2025 — so any agreement with Manning might have to be paused if the coach gets another opportunity in the NFL. In the meantime, though, Belichick has free time on his hands, and Manning wants to put him to work.
In his final ‘Football Morning in America’ column, Peter King named Peyton Manning the nicest quarterback he ever interviewed.
Legendary sportswriter Petter King announced his retirement from writing last month. King served as a Sports Illustrated writer from 1989-2018, writing his weekly column Monday Morning Quarterback before he left SI to write for NBC Sports, penning the weekly column Football Morning in America.
In his final Football Morning in America column before he retired, King ranked the nicest quarterbacks he has interviewed, and Peyton Manning was ranked No. 1.
“We’ve talked about everything under the sun,” King wrote of Manning. “I called him Chris Mortensen — he used to want me to come to his training camp last, so he could download info on the other teams I’d seen.”
Peyton’s brother, Eli Manning, had a funny reaction to King’s list on Twitter/X:
While athletes sometimes get a bad reputation for being complicated as their star and profile rise, it is great to hear that Manning never let his superstardom get to his head.
The former quarterback shared this post on his Instagram page after King announced his retirement:
