Fansided

Peyton Manning almost signed with Tennessee Titans in 2012

By John Buhler

Oct 24, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Former Tennessee Volunteers and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning during pre game warmups before the start of the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Former Tennessee Volunteers and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning during pre game warmups before the start of the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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When Peyton Manning left the Indianapolis Colts for the Denver Broncos in 2012 free agency, he says he was very close to signing with the Tennessee Titans.

According to Dave Ammenheuser of the Tennessean, former Tennessee Volunteers and Indianapolis Colts all-time great quarterback Peyton Manning “was pretty close” to signing with the Tennessee Titans in 2012 NFL free agency before ultimately signing with the Denver Broncos.

When the Manning era came to an end in Indianapolis in 2012 after owner Jim Irsay decided to draft a new franchise quarterback No. 1 overall in Stanford Cardinal’s Andrew Luck, Manning was tied to signing with three different teams: Denver, Tennessee and the San Francisco 49ers.

Late Titans owner Bud Adams had reportedly offered Manning a lifetime contract to play out the rest of his NFL career with the Titans, and that was very appealing for the former Volunteer legend.

However it was Denver’s outstanding football culture and the chance to work with former Broncos quarterback and team president John Elway that made it an easy decision for Manning to relocate to Denver.

Manning would win Super 50, play in Super Bowl XLVIII and break several NFL records quarterbacking the Broncos from 2012 to 2015. While he carried to offense his first two and a half years in Denver, it was the Broncos’ vaunted defense that got him his second Lombardi Trophy.

While Manning achieved the success he wanted in Denver, it’s interesting to think that he almost signed with arguably the worst team in the AFC in the last five seasons. Tennessee has bottomed out after firing head coach Jeff Fisher over five years ago.

Though Manning was more than capable of bringing a mediocre offense to greatness while in his prime, one has to wonder if even he could have elevated some of those horrendous offenses in Nashville the last several years? While San Francisco would have been interesting as well, it’s clear that Manning made the right choice in signing with the Broncos in 2012 NFL free agency.

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