DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 15: Former Broncos quarterback, Peyton Manning stands on the sidelines prior to a game between the Denver Broncos and the visiting Cincinnati Bengals on December 15, 2018 at Sports Authority Field in Denver, CO.(Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Jets front office is currently the laughing-stock of the NFL. Bringing in Peyton Manning could change that in a major way.
When the Jets made the controversial decision to fire GM Mike Maccagnan this week it sent shock waves throughout the NFL. The decision also served to destabilize the team’s front office in a major way. Priority one for Jets CEO Christopher Johnson and the team’s ownership group must be to find a new leader who can galvanize everyone in the building.
Peyton Manning is just the sort of person and personality who can help the Jets achieve that lofty goal. There are significant rumors circulating that claim New York is very interested in bringing the Hall of Fame quarterback to the Big Apple. Cynics around the league will claim what the Jets really need is an experienced front office executive to bring a level of professionalism to the franchise.
That old school way of thinking isn’t going to propel the Jets forward though. The schism caused by the conflict between Maccagnan and Adam Gase didn’t completely disappear with the GM’s dismissal. It’s safe to assume that Maccagnan loyalists still exist in the front office. It’s going to require an exceptional leader to help get them on the same page with Gase and the staff members who subscribe to his way of thinking.
It’s not impossible that the Jets could find a front office veteran from another team who could come in and clean things up. However, Johnson has already expressed his desire to bring in a “great strategic thinker.” That screams of his intention to hire a non-traditional candidate.
Manning represents the perfect combination of a man who will command respect from every football executive in the building without being confined to doing things in the same manner that everyone else around the league does.
The former Tennessee star is also a personality that can handle the pressures associated with working in the media cauldron of New York City. More than anything, Jets fans need to attach themselves to a leader who can instill a sense of calm and quiet confidence around the franchise. Manning can do that with his affable personality.
It’s unclear at this point whether or not Manning has any interest in coming to New York to save the Jets, but Johnson and the team’s leadership should be doing everything they can to convince him to make the sensational move. He’s got the brains and media savvy to help repair the franchise’s badly damaged reputation.