Peyton Manning reveals how Manning Academy helps him, Eli build relationships with NFL QBs

Peyton Manning’s rolodex of quarterbacks probably reaches further and goes deeper than most. And be it NFL players or guys dotting the college landscape, Manning knows one annual tradition has helped him build up these connections: The Manning Passing Academy.

The yearly football camp, designed for high school-aged players at receiver and pass-catching positions, also features college quarterbacks as counselors. And the exposure to the then-college quarterbacks, and vice versa, is something Manning — and his brother, Eli Manning — have used to build out a vast network of quarterback connections.

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“I feel like I do,” Manning said of his connections with other quarterbacks on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday. “I try to stay close to those guys. I get to know a lot of these guys at our football camp, at the Manning Passing Academy, which is a high school quarterback, receiver football camp for entering eighth graders through entering 12th graders. But we have college quarterbacks come and serve as counselors during the camp and in between practices for the high school kids, Eli and I spend time with the college players, on their NFL aspirations, answer questions, work out with them, do Q&A, watch film.”

And those connections have parlayed into Manning’s having a deep bench of NFL quarterbacks he’s worked with at the passing academy.

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“And so you name a starting quarterback in the NFL, they’ve probably been to our camp. [Patrick] Mahomes and [Lamar] Jackson last night. Joe Burrow. Justin Herbert. Matthew Stafford. So we get to know them coming out of college, stay in touch with them, and that kind of creates the relationship through the NFL.”

Now the he and Eli are working in media, namely putting on their ManningCast alternate broadcast for Monday Night Football, Manning can lean on these connections to bring audiences even better knowledge and insight. He used the upcoming MNF opener between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers as an example.

“So yeah, Brock Purdy came to the camp. So I think because of that relationship, I’m able to text Brock and say, ‘Brock, can I talk to you for 10 minutes on Sunday about the game? It’s going to short and sweet. If it goes to 11 minutes, hang up on me.’ But I think because I know him, maybe he’ll give me a little insight that would kind of help Eli and I have a better broadcast,” Manning said.