Peyton Manning is a legend among the Indianapolis Colts, and is widely considered to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He spent 14 seasons in Indianapolis before spending his last four seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos; he won the Super Bowl twice, named the Super Bowl MVP once, and was the named the league's MVP five times. Part of the Manning dynasty, he remains a beloved part of the Colts family.
Manning officially retired in 2016, and spoke glowingly of his time in the NFL. "[E]very moment, every drop of sweat, every bleary-eyed night of preparation, every note I took and every frame of film I watched was about one thing, reverence for this game," he said. "When I look back on my NFL career, I’ll know without a doubt that I gave everything I had to help my teams walk away with a win. There were other players who were more talented but there was no one could out-prepare me and because of that I have no regrets."
Since retiring, Manning has transitioned to TV, founding Omaha Productions, as well as launching ESPN's "ManningCast" to provide analysis and commentary during football season. He's also a professor of practice in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee.
Most recently, however, he appeared on Saturday Night Live (SNL) for its 50th anniversary celebration, having appeared numerous times on SNL throughout the years, including for its 40th anniversary celebration.
Audience Q&A with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey! #SNL50 pic.twitter.com/XYqXMddhS9
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) February 17, 2025
This time, Manning appeared during an audience Q&A hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, where he started out by asking of SNL founder Lorne Michaels was going to retire. When Fey and Poehler told him no, he showcased his self-deprecating humor and zinged another Hollywood celebrity.
"Okay, that's great news. Lorne, never retire. It's brutal out here," he said. "They had me doing all these commercials... insurance, beer. I did one the other day for something called 'Fan Fight Power Monster 3.' I don't even know what the hell it is. I just assumed it was a video game, but then in the last voiceover, I said, 'Now in diet chili flavor.' I hate being retired. No, seriously, Lorne, getting old sucks. You feel like such a loser. (Zach) Galifianakis knows what I’m talking about."
He also took an opportunity to reminisce about his time on SNL, which included hosting the show in 2007.
"For a football player to be able to take their helmet off and show they can laugh, they're not afraid to make fun of themselves, they don't take themselves too seriously," he said. "I was with an all-star cast that year in 2007: Sudeikis, Poehler, Rudolph, Wiig, the list goes on and on, Samberg. I laughed all week, and it was fascinating to go behind the ropes in someone else's arena. You don't get to do that in football, you don't get to have a 12th person in the huddle to really see what its like. But I got to go behind the ropes and creating the sketches and the rehearsals. It's a lot like a football game week, and it's a live event, which I can relate to."