Peyton Manning Meets With Titans

Peyton Manning left the Tennessee Titans' facility shortly after 10 p.m. ET Wednesday following a meeting that lasted nearly seven hours, and fans gathered outside greeted him with cheers, hoping the four-time NFL MVP will pick their team.

Manning put his bag in Titans coach Mike Munchak's car, waved to the crowd, then hopped in the vehicle.


Manning traveled from North Carolina to Nashville, Tenn., earlier in the day on Titans owner Bud Adams' personal jet to meet with team officials. Mike Munchak, general manager Ruston Webster and chief operating officer Mike Reinfeldt also were aboard the plane, which landed at Nashville International -- not John C. Tune airport, as indicated on a flight plan. They returned to the team's headquarters, where the Titans made their pitch to Manning.

Several team officials apparently met with Manning throughout the day, including Tennessee's team doctor, Burton Elrod. He spent 90 minutes at the team's headquarters during Manning's visit.

By 9:45 p.m. ET, there were approximately 40 fans gathered along the fence surrounding the facility hoping to get a glimpse of Manning.

Munchak, Webster and Reinfeldt had flown out of Nashville around 12:15 p.m. ET, with the flight plan showing the plane headed to Atlanta and not Raleigh-Durham, the destination under a flight plan for Tuesday afternoon. That changed back to Raleigh-Durham after the flight took off, and the plane with the Titans' emblem on the tail landed there just before 1:30 p.m. ET.

Manning arrived at the airport in the back seat of black Escalade at 1:53 p.m. ET, boarded the plane, and the group headed back to Tennessee.

NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reported that a key to the Titans' pitch could be their ability to offer Manning an organizational role after his playing days are over. According to Lombardi, Manning would be more likely to find such a spot with the Titans than in, say, Denver, where John Elway currently holds a key management position.

The Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins also have met with Manning since the Indianapolis Colts released him last week.

Adams told WSMV-TV on Tuesday night the meeting with the four-time NFL MVP would happen Wednesday with plans for a full day together.

"I think he's ... wanting to sign up with somebody pretty quickly," Adams said by telephone from his Houston home Tuesday.