In "just what Tennessee Titans fans want to hear" news, Peyton Manning says he nearly joined the franchise after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. On Thursday, Manning sat down with TheTennessean sports editor Dave Ammenheuser at the Middle Tennessee Sports Awards to discuss a number of topics, including his plans for life after the NFL.
During their conversation, Manning said that he nearly took his talents to the Titans, instead of joining the Denver Broncos, admitting, “I was pretty close." Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Peyton attended the University of Tennessee and has maintained a close relationship with his alma mater ever since. During his 18-year NFL career, Manning still found a way to attend at least one Volunteers football game each season.
At the time, the Titans had Chris Johnson, who was coming off his fourth straight season with 1,000 rushing yards, and that's about it. The receiving corps was mediocre at best, with Kendall Wright, Kenny Britt, and Nate Washington. Meanwhile, the Broncos had two promising 24-year-old wideouts in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. This decision may have boiled down to Peyton picking his head over his heart, and luckily, he chose wisely.
Imagine if Manning decided to join the Titans. His legendary 2013 campaign where he put up an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns would've probably never happened, as well as capping off his career by adding another championship to his name in Super Bowl 50.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
