There’s a train of thought that the Indianapolis Colts could be headed towards a fire sale. At 2-4, they’ve had another disappointing start, and a playoff berth seems like it might be trending in the other direction.

After losing to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis fired general manager Chris Ballard, prompting rumors that Peyton Manning could be the savior of the franchise. However, the Manning storyline, sexy as it may be, is still speculation at this point, prompting one former NFL scout to weigh in.

John Middlekauff Isn’t Buying Peyton Manning to the Colts Hype

In the three years under Steichen, the Colts never won more than nine games or made the playoffs. Now, after a disastrous start to the 2026 season, the organization seems to be cleaning house quickly.

As a result, some people want Manning back in charge of the franchise he helped put on the map. However, John Middlekauff doesn’t see that coming to pass for the five-time MVP, given how demanding the role tends to be.

“My gut says Peyton Manning doesn’t take this job,” the former scout for the Philadelphia Eagles said on the “3rd & Out” podcast.

His simplest explanation was that Manning has moved into a different phase of his career. As a result, he believes the trials and tribulations, alongside the nearly 24/7 nature of the role, won’t appeal to the three-time Super Bowl champion.

“The one thing that goes along with this (GM) life: you don’t have a life. It’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle.”

For Middlekauff, a far more viable path for Manning would be to try for an ownership stake. Tom Brady, of course, took that path with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the former scout believes Manning could follow in those footsteps.

“Peyton and Tom are good examples of when they played, they had no life during the season. They grinded 24/7. Does he want that? I would doubt Peyton would take this job, and if he did, I would view it closer to Tom Brady.”

In that instance, Middlekauff argued, “Yeah, I’ll buy a piece and be a part of the organization. But I’m not coming into the office and grinding 13,14,15 hours a day, basically 10 months a year.”

Circling back to his original point, he added, “Because as a GM, the season ends, and it’s chill for the coaches, [but] that’s when your season starts. Senior Bowl, Combine, free agency, the draft, the meetings. It never ends. The stress of this; why would he wanna take that on?”

It remains to be seen if loyalty to the franchise that gave him his first break in the NFL can motivate Manning enough to get back to being involved with the league at an intricate level.

But for the time being, there hasn’t been any clear indication that he will be taking on the role with the Colts.