Peyton Manning Not Expected to Be a Colts GM Candidate, and Minnesota Is a 6.5-Point Favorite

Peyton Manning Is Not Expected to Pursue the Colts GM Job

Peyton Manning is not expected to add Indianapolis Colts general manager to his list of jobs, league sources told ESPN on Sunday. The Colts have not approached the Hall of Fame quarterback about the vacancy, and sources said he would not be expected to be interested, partly because the role demands day-to-day attention and he has Monday Night Football obligations and two children in high school.

The Colts fired Chris Ballard last Monday after nine-plus seasons. According to ESPN, the team made two playoff appearances under Ballard, never won the AFC South, and finished 72-82-1. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said the team would conduct "a thorough search" for the next GM.

a thorough search

Colts at Vikings Odds: What the Market Did

The Colts are 2-4 and face Minnesota, 5-0, on Sunday at 1 PM ET. DraftKings opened the Vikings as three-point home favorites and now lists them at 6.5, per ESPN's odds feed as of October 25 at 9:00 AM ET.

The feed does not say why a line moved, so everything after this table is our reading and not a reported cause.

Our Read: What a Vacant GM Chair Says About Indianapolis

Three things stand out to us, and the evidence does not all point one way.

• The quarterback carousel is the real story. Fourteen starters in nine-plus seasons is the number that explains the firing better than any single draft class. A new GM inherits that problem first.
• A rumor that ends is still information. Ruling out a famous name narrows the list toward conventional front-office candidates, which would make the search slower and quieter, not louder. That is an inference, not a report.
• The line may be pricing a team in transition. A 3.5-point move is large for one week. It may reflect the firing, injuries or sharp opinion on Minnesota's 5-0 start, but the feed gives no reason, and a 2-4 record alone does not explain it.
• The lower total cuts both ways. Six points off the total suggests an expectation of fewer possessions or weaker offense, yet a favorite that big can also produce a lopsided score that still goes over.

What to Watch in the Colts GM Search

• Whether Indianapolis names a search firm or interview timeline, since the owner has said the team will take the time necessary.
• Whether any former-quarterback executive, like the Brady, Ryan and Boselli models ESPN cited, is linked to the job.
• Colts offense and turnovers at Minnesota, and whether the line moves again before kickoff.
• Who coaches and who plays quarterback once a new GM takes over.

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