Matt Ryan was officially introduced as the new quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. He was, of course, asked some questions about Peyton Manning, and Ryan shared a great story about one of his past interactions with the Hall of Famer.
Ryan said Manning has been a great mentor for him and that he is honored to follow in his footsteps. He also revealed that Peyton was one of the first people to call him after the Atlanta Falcons punched their ticket to the Super Bowl in 2016. Ryan was out celebrating with his teammates, but Manning wanted to get to work.
Ryan tells a great story… After winning the NFC Championship in 2016, he was at dinner celebrating. First call he gets: Peyton Manning.
"He says, 'OK, here's how you map out the next two weeks.' I was like, 'We just won this game, man.'"
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 22, 2022
Manning is a football junkie, and that was the year after he retired. He was probably itching to be a part of Super Bowl preparation any way he could. He may have been even more excited since the Falcons were getting ready to play the New England Patriots and Manning’s longtime rival, Tom Brady.
Ryan will have a great opportunity to contend with the Colts next season. Manning is still close with many members of the organization, so he should continue to be a great resource for Ryan.
Photo: Dec 15, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Former Denver Broncos player Peyton Manning before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
