Report: Peyton Manning, Bill Polian could reunite to run Titans in 2016

If a report today from CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora is true, two of the most important members of the Colts' success of the 2000s could reunite to run a division rival of Indianapolis.

La Canfora reported this morning that talk around the NFL continues to grow that Peyton Manning and Bill Polian could reunite to run the Tennessee Titans in 2016.

He remains close with Polian, and some within the Titans organization believe a combination as Manning as a football czar (with the option to own a piece of the team even if it is sold in the next year as many around the league expect), with Bill Polian as team president, his son, Chris, as general manager and Jacksonville assistant Doug Marrone or Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase as coach is very probable for 2016.

To be honest, while we'll have to see what happens, this would make a ton of sense.  Manning has long been reported to have interest in running a team and perhaps even having partial ownership, and La Canfora notes that the Titans would be willing to give him that.  Furthermore, Manning has strong ties to Tennessee going back to his college days, and his wife Ashley is actually a partial owner in the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.  Manning is a popular figure in Tennessee, and if he were to run a franchise, the Titans would make as much sense as any.

Furthermore, a team handing the reigns over to Manning would be viewed as less-risky if Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian is involved, and he and Manning worked together for 14 years in Indianapolis.  They were major parts of the turnaround the franchise enjoyed, and teaming up to attempt to do the same for another franchise could be viewed as a task both want to take on.  After all, as La Canfora notes, Polian almost took a job with the Buffalo Bills last year, a sign that he would perhaps be willing to get back into the game if in the right situation.  Working with Manning for the Titans, where they could attempt to beat the rival Colts by playing them twice a year in the same division (both Manning and Polian are incredibly competitive) could also be intriguing to them.

If I were running the Titans, bringing in a duo of Peyton Manning and Bill Polian to run the franchise would seem like a smart move (though I would very much dislike Chris Polian as GM).  We'll see what happens, as Manning's plans on whether to play in 2016 are still uncertain, but this does sound like a very interesting possibility that would actually make some sense from the Titans' point of view.