NFL legend Peyton Manning was immediately linked to his former team’s general manager position after the Indianapolis Colts fired Chris Ballard on Monday. Ballard was fired after the Colts fell to 2-4 on the season following a 26-20 loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans in Week 6.

After news of Ballard’s firing broke, NFL analyst Dan Patrick revealed that Manning’s links to the job were genuine.

Dan Patrick Links Peyton Manning to Colts’ GM Job

During Monday’s segment of “The Dan Patrick Show,” Patrick detailed that Manning had been sounded out for both a general manager and ownership role in Indianapolis.

“I just got this information: the Colts’ first call will be, and has been, to Peyton Manning,” Patrick said. “The call will not only get names and suggestions, but the call will explore whether or not Peyton will be interested in being a general manager for the Colts as an entry point that will include ownership interest in the Colts. This would be the first major hire by (the) Irsay sisters, the next generation.

“Now you have an opportunity to put Peyton back in Indy as a GM and part owner and he gets to pick his quarterback. So now, all of a sudden, the community is gonna love this, the league would love this, would Peyton love this?”

Patrick added that former Colts owner Jim Irsay, who died last year, did not want to sell any part of the franchise, but his daughters might think differently.

Ballard, who was hired in 2017, had asubpar tenure in Indianapolis. The Colts reached the playoffs only twice during his tenure as general manager and won one postseason game. All-Pro talents Jonathan Taylor and Quenton Nelson joined the team during his tenure, glossing over his achievements in Indianapolis.

After an impressive 8-2 start to the 2025 season, the Colts lost their final seven games, but coach Shane Steichen and Ballard were retained despite the crash. Assistant general manager Ed Dodds will oversee the Colts’ personnel department for the remainder of the season while ownership conducts its search for Ballard’s replacement.

Patrick suggested that Manning’s role could include helping the franchise find its next quarterback, even bringing up the Colts icon’s nephew, Texas star Arch Manning.

“And maybe the GM to help you with the transition, where Peyton’s gonna help you get your quarterback,” Patrick added. “Maybe it’s Arch Manning that you get. They don’t even have a first-round draft pick (in 2027).”

After a stellar college football career with the Tennessee Volunteers, Peyton Manning was selected No. 1 overall by the Colts in the 1998 NFL Draft. He turned them into perennial contenders, with 11 playoff appearances, eight division titles, three AFC Championship Game appearances, and two Super Bowl appearances, including a Super Bowl XLI win.

Manning was also named the Super Bowl MVP during his career in Indianapolis before he was released and joined the Denver Broncos, where he won another Super Bowl title. Manning still holds several franchise records, was inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor, and had his jersey retired by the franchise.