The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl ended with the NFC retaining its supremacy. However, AFC head coach Peyton Manning found a silver lining in his third straight loss—his son Marshall got the chance to throw alongside Joe Burrow. The middle-school QB showcased his arm talent, firing precise passes to stars like Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. It was a proud moment for Peyton and may have even made someone like Travis Kelce a little envious.
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On Nightcap, Peyton admitted he loved watching his son soak in the Pro Bowl experience. Given that Marshall is only 13, it’s easy to see why. His impressive display wasn’t much of a surprise either to Mahomes, as he joked, “We raise quarterbacks, not kickers.”
Kelce, who earned his tenth straight Pro Bowl nod this year, was also impressed by Marshall. But he couldn’t help but joke about being jealous of the young QB, saying it would have been a dream come true for him to do the same at that age.
“The kid in me is so jealous of Marshall. That is such a cool opportunity for him to go out there and have some fun with the gang. I’m sure he is absolutely living it up, man,” he said.
Peyton then shared that Marshall has been having the time of his life at the Pro Bowl over the past three seasons. That’s one of the reasons he enjoys coaching the event. Marshall gets to warm up alongside the best of the best. Peyton described that experience as something very “cool”.
The former Broncos QB also admitted that his and Eli’s job as Pro Bowl coaches would be in jeopardy if the organizers continued with the idea of the Kelce brothers coaching games. To be fair, that change wouldn’t be the worst idea since the Kelces have the AFC-NFC connection. But we can’t quite vouch for the rivalry between the two, which is practically nonexistent.
Speaking of the AFC-NFC rivalry, Jason’s former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, locked horns with Travis’ Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9. However, unlike their last meeting in the big game, Travis left empty-handed as his brother Jason’s former team secured an impressive 40-22 win. But the question remains—who were the Mannings rooting for?
Were Peyton and Eli rooting for the Eagles at Super Bowl LIX?
The Manning brothers may not have their former teams playing in the Super Bowl, but they did have a record on the line. Peyton and Eli have combined four Lombardi Trophies — the same number as Travis and Jason.
If the Chiefs had won, the Kelce brothers would have surpassed them. So, does that mean the Mannings were rooting for the Eagles?
Well, for Eli, it was a bit complicated. Having spent his entire career with the New York Giants, cheering for a division rival wasn’t easy. The two-time Super Bowl champion also explained that he doesn’t root for teams but rather for individuals he knows personally.
In this case, that meant Saquon Barkley, his former teammate. That doesn’t mean Eli was against the Chiefs, either—after all, his former defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, is there.
“It’s hard for me to pull for the Eagles like being in the division. But it’s a little bit easier this year with Saquon being there. I think in these situations, you root for players, you root for coaches you know,” said Eli.
Eli was leaning more toward the Eagles, however. Because, unlike the Chiefs, many Philly players hadn’t experienced a Super Bowl victory before Sunday. He believes every player should get to feel that bliss—especially someone like Saquon.
Peyton, on the other hand, kept his cards close to his chest, refusing to reveal who he was rooting for. Instead, he seemed more concerned about the possibility of Jason receiving an honorary ring from the Eagles if they win. It would make sense since the future Hall of Famer center hung up his cleats just last year.
For Peyton, either outcome of the Super Bowl meant the same thing — the Kelce brothers pulling ahead of the Mannings in Super Bowl wins.
