Peyton Manning reveals elaborate plot to have plot to have Pope Leo XIV on ManningCast for Week 1 MNF matchup in Chicago
This would have been epic.
The first Monday Night Football game of the 2025 season took place in Chicago, so Peyton Manning tried to recruit one heck of a guest for the first ManningCast of the year.
Peyton and his brother Eli Manning welcomed Bill Murray, Saquon Barkley, and Randy Moss during last night’s game. But Peyton also tried to get one other Chicago native to join.
“I think we should try to let the people know that you tried to book a big-time fourth guest,” Eli said on the broadcast. “Is it true that you failed to book Chicago native, Pope Leo XIV?”
“Yeah, kind of like I failed to recruit Randy Moss to Tennessee,” Peyton replied. “I couldn’t close the pope. But I made the effort, Eli. And that’s the kind of effort we make here at ESPN2. I tried my hardest. Can we show the letter? Look at these two handwritten letters I wrote. I wrote his Holiness himself and I wrote his executive assistant. Handwritten. I made the effort. Look, these are handwritten letters.”
“And if you’re watching, Your Holiness, this is an open invitation,” Peyton continued. “Come on the show anytime.”
Peyton Manning Reveals Most Desired Guests For ManningCast
Along with extending another invitation to the Pope, Peyton Manning spoke about the other guests he and his brother would love to have on.
“It’s you, it’s Tiger Woods, it’s Bradley Cooper, it’s President Bush, it’s Larry David,” he said. “Y’all are our most wanted on that list for the Manningcast. Come anytime. We’d love to have you, Your Holiness.”
