Jim Irsay conspicuously leaves Peyton Manning off Top 5 NFL greats list

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay listed his Top 5 greatest NFL players ever, but fans and Twitter users pointed out that he omitted Peyton Manning.

Everyone has their own opinion as to who they view as the best in a certain field. That is especially prominent in sports, as fans and media express and debate why they believe a player or a specific team should be considered the best of all time.

On Friday, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim sent out a tweet listing who he has as the top five greatest players in the NFL all-time. Irsay has legendary Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown, who had passed away at the age of 87 earlier that day, listed as No. 1 all-time on his list,  Following Brown on the list was quarterback Tom Brady, quarterback John Elway, defensive end Deacon Jones, and defensive end Reggie White in that order.

Of course, everyone has their own opinion. But those who follow Irsay, whether it’s Colts fans or those who follow the big names across the league, they were asking “Where’s Peyton Manning.”

NFL world, Colts fans wonder why Jim Irsay left Peyton Manning off his Top 5 Greatest NFL Players of All Time list

Minutes later, Irsay sent out a second tweet regarding his Top 5 list and why Manning wasn’t listed in it. The Colts owner said that he had Manning, Jerry Rice, and Barry Sanders in his Top 10. But, Irsay said he listed Elway so highly because he “didn’t have great offensive players around him til the end, when he won 2 in a row and his feet [were] remarkable.”

Manning, of course, was the quarterback the team selected first-overall back in 1998, who became one of the best at his position. He won four NFL MVP awards during his tenure in Indianapolis and brought the franchise its second Super Bowl title ever in the 2006 season. He stayed with the team until the conclusion of the 2011 season when he was released from his contract.

He, of course, went to the Denver Broncos, where he showed that he still had it after a neck injury, and ended his career with a Super Bowl 50 victory.

As for Elway, he was selected first overall by the organization back in 1983. The thing is, Elway had no desire to play for the team and requested a trade. He used the New York Yankees as leverage, saying he could go play baseball full-time instead.

Ultimately, he was traded to the Broncos. While he was one of the top quarterbacks in the league during his time, he didn’t win the big game until the end of his career. Specifically, his final two years in the league. He had gone 0-3 in his first three trips.

While Irsay does consider Manning a Top 10 player in the league, he has Elway ranked higher, citing the lack of help he had on offense earlier in his career.