During his 18 seasons in the NFL, Peyton Manning was not shy in attaching his name to brands. This is evident in his somewhat bizarre relationship with Papa John, a relationship strong enough for Peyton to buy 32 Papa John’s chains in the Denver area alone. Excessive. Peyton also reps Buick, Nationwide, Gatorade, Nike and DirecTV. During his playing career, he was often the most marketable NFL player, amassing a whopping $12 million in off-field earnings his final year in the league.
Peyton’s storied career, his ‘good guy’ image, and his perfect comedic timing make him a viable face for almost any brand. His charisma also makes you forget that every time he speaks he sounds like he’s chomping on two dozen cotton balls. He’s also the only dude in the NFL whose steroid allegations were met with the same scrutiny as a parking ticket, while the NFL spent $15 million on a Tom Brady witch hunt. But that’s neither here nor there.
The silver lining in Peyton’s retirement is that we’ll get more exposure to his acting prowess. Maybe feature films are on the horizon for number 18. But for now, these brand new DirecTV commercials will have to do.