Peyton Manning Says He Doesn't Want '4-Day Commitment' of Being Broadcaster

Don't expect Peyton Manning to leave his broadcast couch for a booth any time soon.

The Hall of Fame quarterback told Colin Cowherd on Wednesday that he has no interest in the "four-day commitment" necessary to be a commentator.

"I learned on the broadcasting that the commitment to be gone every weekend, that there are no home games when it comes to broadcasting, doing it the right way like Tony Romo does it, Cris Collinsworth," Manning said on The Colin Cowherd Podcast (33:56 mark). "The late John Madden started it: Go watch practice, go interview the teams, be there hands-on. It's the only way to do it well. It's a four-day commitment. I wanted my fall weekends to be free."

Manning, who retired following the 2015 season, has long rebuffed overtures to join broadcast teams. The ManningCast launched on ESPN2 last year, featuring Peyton and Eli live-streaming Monday Night Football games and commenting from home. (Peyton said he broadcasts from his neighbor's garage.)

The ManningCast drew overwhelmingly positive reviews last year, with fans raving that the looser commentary and celebrity guests brought a liveliness to the festivities not found in the standard airing.

Peyton and Eli will return for a second season in 2022, with the brothers reportedly making $12-18 million.

"Eli and I get to watch pro football from our houses," Peyton told Cowherd. "I do it from my neighbor Scott's garage. Eli does it on his back house. And we get to watch it and laugh and make fun of each other, and we have Snoop Dogg watch it with us. Are you kidding me? There's no way I would have thought I could do something like that."

While the salary ESPN is paying Manning pales in comparison to the 10-year, $375 million deal Tom Brady and Fox agreed to in May, it seems the Hall of Famer is happier with his free time and casual broadcasting career than he would be with a full-time commentating job.