In a recent radio interview with KKFN in Denver, Peyton Manning opened up about the recruitment process that unfolded in the national media that ultimately brought him to the Denver Broncos. It was a journey that featured several teams listed as suitors, three teams that were finalists and one left standing in the end. But where did the Kansas City Chiefs fall along the way?
Peyton might have given a good idea of where the Chiefs landed when he made an allusion early in the interview to some teams being on a timetable. Specifically he said, “I really felt like I had some good options. And certain teams were kind of on the clock and kind of had to have an answer right away due to personnel on their respective teams, and I just couldn’t rush a decision if I just didn’t feel right about it.”
If the Chiefs knew they only had so much money to spend and they wanted to target specific players, going after Manning without a time limit could keep them from landing a guy like Eric Winston among others. After all, one close look at the Dolphins’ offseason tells you what it looks like for the losers of the Manning sweepstakes — since they have arguably had the worst offseason in the NFL thus far.
There’s no way of knowing much more than what has been said, and it’s not likely that Manning or the Chiefs front office will open up about this soon. The reality is that all parties have moved on and there’s nothing more to publicly say about it. However, it’s interesting to read Peyton’s words and wonder what team fits into which category. If the Chiefs wanted to know quickly whether they were “in” or “out,” they might have automatically forced themselves to the margins with their demands.