Jon Gruden recalls hilarious Peyton Manning jab after ill-advised play call
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden has football stories for days, especially when it comes to quarterbacks outsmarting him.
During the latest episode of his "Gruden's QB Class" on Barstool Sports, the former coach spoke with 2025 NFL Draft prospect Seth Henigan of Memphis when he brought up a play during his career while facing Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
Gruden's squad, though he didn't specify which team it was at the time, called an all-out blitz on Manning and the Colts. But sending the house wasn't going to throw off one of the sharpest quarterbacks of all time.
"When they start all-out blitzing us, that'd be the last time they do it," Gruden told Henigan. "I did it to Peyton Manning. We called an all-out blitz against Peyton Manning. He saw it, he flashed a hand signal, touchdown."
As Gruden watched the Colts score, he said Manning made sure to rub it in.
"You know what he did after he did it? He ran right by my sideline, and he says, 'Are you out of your f---ing mind?' I swear he did that."
Manning was known for his ability to read defenses before the snap, making necessary adjustments with his offensive line and receivers to get positive yardage.
And Gruden wasn't the only head coach who watched Manning dissect his squad with such precision that a touchdown was the end result.
Manning is a two-time Super Bowl champion, one with the Colts in 2007 and one with the Denver Broncos in 2016. He is also third all time in passing yards (71,940) during his Hall of Fame career.
Henigan is hoping his NFL career comes remotely close to Manning's as he looks ahead to the NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound signal-caller is just hoping to be drafted, and he likely has a lot of work to do to crack a 53-man roster before the 2025 campaign.
Henigan was a productive quarterback during his time at Memphis, a four-year starter who set a school record and tied an AAC record with 104 career passing touchdowns.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein said Henigan is someone who can read through his progressions quickly and "climbs under edge pressure and spots completions." However, his physical traits are not as elite as other quarterback prospects in the draft, and he sometimes rushes his decisions.
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