Peyton Manning has just one request for the newly drafted class of quarterbacks. He wants them to beat his worst record.
The former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback spoke about the rookie class, with a record-tying six first-round quarterbacks, while accepting the Mizel Institute’s 2024 Community Enrichment Award on Wednesday.
Jokingly (we think), he said he hopes one of them breaks his NFL record of 28 interceptions as a rookie, although he’d prefer it not to be the Broncos’ Bo Nix.
Peyton Manning mentions his NFL rookie interception record: “I mean, if any of these rookies wanted to break my interception record, I’d be all for it. I don’t want Bo (Nix) to rip it up, but I’d like to get it off my resume. You would think that with 17 games…” pic.twitter.com/wDLJLMTSLx
—Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) May 23, 2024
Manning’s comment:
“I played as a rookie. That was not a fun year. It was well documented how many interceptions I threw. If any of these rookies wanted to break my interceptions record, I’d take it. I don’t want Bo (Nix) to rip it up, but I’d like to get it off my resume. You’d think with 17 games they’d be able to do it. There are 28. It shouldn’t be that difficult. But I’m over it anyway.”
Manning isn’t wrong in saying the new 17-game season should help his cause, although he would still need an atypical season to erase him from the bad side of the record books. The rookies who came closest since Manning’s first year with the Colts are DeShone Kizer with 22, Geno Smith with 21 and Mark Sanchez and Matthew Stafford with 20.
The context of Manning’s joke was the importance of playing time for rookies. He firmly believes that rookies learn more from playing than from sitting behind a veteran:
“I believe that experience is still your best teacher. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I went 3-13 my rookie year and didn’t play very well. We finished 13-3 the next year. There’s no way that would have happened if I hadn’t played and gone through those struggles and thrown those interceptions and thought, ‘Okay, I can’t do that anymore, these guys are fast.’ You file everything.
That’s pretty convenient.
