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50 free Peyton Manning trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Peyton Manning turned a 3-13 expansion-grade Colts team into an annual contender, threw 49 touchdowns in 2004 and 55 in 2013, missed a whole season to neck surgery, and still walked off with a second Super Bowl ring for a second franchise. Along the way he picked up five MVP awards, a nickname from Jon Gruden and a production company named after his audible call. These 50 questions cover the whole arc: the 1998 draft debate with Ryan Leaf, his rookie-record interceptions, the Tampa Bay comeback, Super Bowl XLI against the Bears, the lockout rehab with a baseball team's trainers, the 2012 move to Denver, the seven-touchdown opener against the Ravens, the benching in 2015 and the two-point conversion that was his last NFL pass. There are off-field questions too: Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, College Bowl, Ferdinand and the Manningcast. Easy questions stick to the headline facts; the expert tier asks about Frank Tripucka's number, Jim McMahon's record and the 13-second Hall of Fame vote. Every answer is cited to a page we checked, with a short explanation so you learn something even when you miss. Play it solo or print it for an NFL trivia night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Which team selected Manning first overall in the 1998 NFL draft?
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts took him over Ryan Leaf, who went second to San Diego.
Q 02What nickname did Manning earn during his professional career?
The Sheriff
Jon Gruden coined it on a 2009 Monday Night Football broadcast while describing Manning's road audibles.
Q 03Who is Manning's younger brother, himself a two-time Super Bowl champion?
Eli
Peyton went 3-0 against Eli's Giants in the three regular-season Manning Bowls.
Q 04How many NFL MVP awards did Manning win, a league record?
Five
Four came with the Colts and one with the Broncos, the last in 2013.
Q 05Which team did the Colts beat in Super Bowl XLI?
Chicago Bears
Manning was named the game's MVP, the first Colts player to win the award since Chuck Howley in Super Bowl V.
Q 06Who did the Broncos beat 24-10 in Super Bowl 50, Manning's final game?
Carolina Panthers
The Broncos defense shut down regular-season MVP Cam Newton; Manning threw for just 141 yards.
Q 07Manning's last NFL pass was a two-point conversion to which receiver?
Bennie Fowler
It came with 3:08 left in Super Bowl 50 and was the only passing points he scored that night.
Q 08Manning wore No. 18 in honor of which brother, who quit football due to spinal stenosis?
Cooper
Eli later wore the same number at Newman; the school has since retired it.
Q 09Which jersey number did the University of Tennessee retire for Manning in 2005?
16
A street leading to Neyland Stadium was also renamed Peyton Manning Pass.
Q 10Which Washington State quarterback was Manning's rival for the top pick in 1998?
Ryan Leaf
Leaf arrived late to his Colts interview while Manning showed up prepared, which swayed the team.
Q 11Which Colts general manager had the final say on drafting Manning in 1998?
Bill Polian
Manning told him that if the Colts passed, he would come back and beat them.
Q 12Who was Manning's head coach during his rookie season?
Jim Mora
Mora later delivered the famous "Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs" rant after a 2001 loss.
Q 13Who beat Manning for the 1997 Heisman Trophy?
Charles Woodson
Manning became the fourth Tennessee player to finish as Heisman runner-up.
Q 14During the 2011 lockout, Manning rehabbed his neck with which baseball team's trainers?
Q 21In 2012 Manning bought 21 Colorado franchises of which pizza chain?
Papa John's
He sold his shares in February 2018.
Q 22Manning voiced the bull Guapo in which 2017 animated film?
Ferdinand
He had earlier voiced himself, with Eli and Cooper, in a 2009 episode of The Simpsons.
Q 23Whose career record did Manning pass with his 509th touchdown pass in 2014?
Brett Favre
The throw went to Demaryius Thomas against the 49ers on Sunday Night Football.
Q 24Who was Manning's head coach in his final season, 2015?
Colorado Rockies
He wanted no witnesses to his recovery, so he worked at Coors Field rather than the Colts facility.
Q 15Whose single-season record of 48 touchdown passes did Manning break in 2004?
Dan Marino
The 49th came on a 21-yard pass to Brandon Stokley against San Diego after Manning waved off the punt team.
Q 16How many touchdown passes did Manning throw in 2013, an NFL single-season record?
55
Number 51 broke Tom Brady's mark; the last four came in a first-half-only finale against Oakland.
Q 17Manning's 2013 single-season passing yards record beat whose mark by one yard?
Drew Brees
Brees later returned the favour, breaking Manning's career yardage record in 2018.
Q 18Manning threw seven touchdowns in the 2013 opener against which defending champion?
Baltimore Ravens
He was the first player since 1969 to throw seven in a game, and he did it without an interception.
Q 19Which Monday Night Football analyst is credited with coining Manning's nickname in 2009?
Jon Gruden
Gruden was describing how Manning ran audibles at the line of scrimmage on the road.
Q 20Manning's production studio is named after which trademark audible call?
Omaha
Omaha Productions, founded in 2020, makes Peyton's Places and the Quarterback docuseries.
Gary Kubiak
Kubiak was Manning's fifth NFL head coach; he benched him during a four-interception game against Kansas City.
Q 25Which backup replaced Manning for six games during the 2015 season?
Brock Osweiler
Denver went 4-2 without Manning before he returned in relief in the regular-season finale.
Q 26How many consecutive games did Manning start to open his career, an NFL record?
208
The streak ended when the Colts ruled him out for the 2011 opener after neck surgery.
Q 27Whose record of 22 straight regular-season wins did Manning break in 2009?
Jim McMahon
McMahon's streak came with the Bears from 1984 to 1987; Manning's 23rd came against Jacksonville.
Q 28Denver's No. 18 was retired for which quarterback, who let Manning wear it?
Frank Tripucka
Tripucka was the original Broncos quarterback in 1960.
Q 29Super Bowl 50 set a record for the age gap between starting QBs: how many years?
13
Manning was 39 and Cam Newton 26; the record has since been surpassed twice.
Q 30A bronze statue of Manning stands outside which venue?
Lucas Oil Stadium
It was unveiled in October 2017, the same weekend the Colts retired his number.