Before Peyton Manning transformed his awkwardness into comedic gold on the ManningCast and in numerous commercials, he famously showcased his humorous side as a host on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Manning hosted SNL in 2007 after his Super Bowl XLI victory with the Indianapolis Colts. Among the various skits, the standout moment remains his portrayal as a volunteer for a youth group, where he threw footballs at full speed at children while shouting insults to “motivate” them.
During the anniversary special of SNL, Manning participated in a Q&A session led by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. From the audience, he humorously advised longtime Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels to “never retire,” joking that his own retirement from the NFL resulted in a slew of “brutal commercials.” “Is Lorne (Michaels) going to retire now?” Manning questioned. “No, I don’t think so,” Poehler replied. “Okay, that’s great news,” Manning added. “Lorne, never retire. It is brutal out here. They have me doing all these commercials. Insurance, beer… I even did one the other day for something called Fan Fight Power Monster 3. I thought it was a video game, but then I had to say, ‘Now in diet chili flavor.’ I despise being retired. Seriously, Lorne, getting old sucks. You feel like such a loser. (Zach) Galifianakis knows what I’m talking about.”
Peyton Manning makes an #SNL50 appearance here at the 8:10 mark. https://t.co/gopNbPXNJ8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 17, 2025
Manning hasn’t lost his comedic flair since 2007. Perhaps, in the future, he will become the third former athlete to host SNL again, joining the ranks of Charles Barkley and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He also took a moment to reflect on his SNL experience, crediting the “all-star cast” he worked with as a host. “For a football player to take their helmet off and show that they can laugh, to not take themselves too seriously…”
Peyton Manning arrives at the SNL50 Red Carpet ahead of SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Watch #SNL50 LIVE NOW on NBC and @Peacock. pic.twitter.com/A2snUobtM5
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) February 17, 2025
“I was with an all-star cast that year… (Jason) Sudeikis, (Amy) Poehler, (Maya) Rudolph, (Kristen) Wiig — the list goes on. (Andy) Samberg. I laughed all week. It was fascinating to step behind the scenes in someone else’s arena. In football, you don’t get a 12th person in the huddle to experience that. But here, I got to dive into sketch creation and rehearsals. It mirrors a football game week. Plus, it’s a live event I can relate to.”
