Peyton Manning Is Now An Owner Of A NWSL Team

Can you believe Peyton Manning retired nearly a decade ago? The Hall of Fame quarterback hung up his cleats in March 2016, though he's hardly kept quiet since then. He's continued appearing in national advertisements for brands, including Nationwide and U.S. Bank. His Omaha Productions has rapidly risen, too. The "Manningcast"—officially titled "Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli"—with his brother Eli is a big hit, and Omaha Productions sold a 10% stake earlier this year that valued the company at $750 million.

Now, Manning can add "soccer team owner" to his resume.

The five-time NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl winner has joined the ownership group of the new Denver National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team. The expansion franchise, which still doesn't have a name or logo, will debut next season.

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While Manning's financial commitment is unknown, the expansion franchise fee was $110 million. That's more than twice what recent expansion fees have cost. By comparison, Boston Legacy FC, which is beginning play next year, joined the NWSL for a $53 million expansion fee.

In a statement, Manning said, "It's a real honor to be part of something so meaningful to the Colorado community." Manning finished his career with the Denver Broncos, playing his final four seasons in the Mile High City. The Broncos reached two Super Bowls over that span, winning one in 2016. He retired a month later, going out as a champion.

The ownership group includes some impressive names. Denver NWSL recently added two-time Olympic champion Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin. Molly and David Coors and Ariel Investments' Project Level are other investors. Insurance executive Rob Cohen leads the ownership group. Cohen and Co. also said they plan to build a venue specifically for this club, which will make Denver NWSL only the second NWSL team to have its own stadium.

One person who might be bummed to hear the news is Eli Manning—he had previously been the lone Manning to own a soccer team. The younger Manning, who played his entire career with the New York Giants, is a minority investor in Gotham FC.

More than likely, though, he'll be a supportive big brother. After all, owning a team is a cool achievement that few people get to experience. Still, there will certainly be some brotherly trash talking going on when Denver and Gotham FC match up.