Peyton Manning was the source of many, many internet jokes during his Hall of Fame career because of a distinguished red mark he seemed to always have on his forehead anytime he removed his helmet. We now have a better idea of who was to blame for that.
Manning was a guest on the “Pardon My Take” podcast this week, and hosts Big Cat and PFT asked all the hard-hitting questions per usual. When the topic of Manning’s forehead arose, he joked that he has “such a big forehead that there’s so much room for the camera to zoom in on it.” He then said the Riddell manufacturers always told him the red forehead meant the helmet fit perfectly.
“They would always tell me, ‘Hey, the red forehead means the helmet fits just right. That means it’s tight, it’s close to your head, it’s gonna prevent injuries. It’s perfect.’ So, I would believe that. I’m like, ‘OK, I’m gonna keep having it tight. It’s tight enough that it leaves the red mark.'”
You can see the clip below, but beware that it contains a curse word:
Us Big J’s are out here asking Peyton Manning the important questions…
What’s with the mark on his forehead? pic.twitter.com/1625kOPaIe
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) August 2, 2021
If Manning was convinced that the red mark was a symbol of safety, you can understand why he put up with all the trolling.
No one does self-deprecation better than Manning, and we have been reminded of that on multiple occasions since he retired.
