The Miami Dolphins lost starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a brutal ACL tear in Week 14 last season, and the Fins apparently toyed with the idea of bringing in a new signal-caller before turning to backup Matt Moore.
In an interview with The Times-Picayune, Archie Manning revealed that Dolphins head coach Adam Gase reached out to Peyton Manning via text following Tannehill’s injury, pitching the legendary QB to come out of retirement.
“It started with Gase,” Archie Manning said. “He said, ‘Hey 18, Tannehill went down.’ He said, ‘I think he’s going to miss some time. The first question I’m going to get at the press conference in the morning is if I’m going to try to bring you to Miami. What do you want me to tell them?’”
Gase has a history with Peyton Manning, as he served as his offensive coordinator for two seasons with the Denver Broncos. But despite their connection, “The Sheriff” informed his old coach that his fatherly duties were priority No. 1.
“The text message came back from Peyton, ‘You tell them I could probably come play, but there’s no way I can miss carpool the next two weeks,’” Archie Manning said. “So, he was done.”
You can’t knock Gase for trying, but it doesn’t seem like the two-time Super Bowl champion is itching to strap the pads back on.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images