Jim Irsay omits surprising player from his top 5 NFL greats
Sep 8, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay on the field prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay left some scratching their heads when he ranked his personal top five NFL players ever.
Irsay was reacting to the death of NFL legend Jim Brown, and used the opportunity to rank his five greatest players. Brown came in at No. 1, but to the surprise of many, however, Peyton Manning did not make the cut.
On my list of Top 5 Greatest NFL Players of All Time,in our 103 year History… I have Top 5 as 1)Jim Brown 2)Tom Brady 3)John Elway 4)Deacon Jones 5)Reggie White.🏈
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) May 19, 2023
Irsay included a pair of quarterbacks in his top five. One, Tom Brady, will not garner many objections, but ranking John Elway ahead of Manning certainly raised a few eyebrows.
Manning is a franchise legend for the Colts, and given Irsay’s relationship with him, one might have expected to see him make the owner’s personal top five. It’s probably nothing personal considering how Irsay and the Colts have honored Manning in the past. If nothing else, Irsay certainly cannot be accused of letting personal bias seep into his rankings.
