Peyton Manning is the Drake of the NFL

Now that he’s retired, Peyton Manning will have plenty of time to enjoy NFL games on Sundays. He’s going to need to spring for Sunday Ticket or something, though, because Manning identified six different teams he plans to root for this season: the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions.

Some of Manning’s choices are obvious. He just won a Super Bowl with the Broncos and he had a long and illustrious career with the Colts. His brother Eli plays for the Giants. The other connections are more tenuous, though. He’ll root for the Texans this season to support his former backup Brock Osweiler. His one-time offensive coordinator Adam Gase is now the head coach with the Dolphins, while his former head coach Jim Caldwell is the coach of the Lions.

Even though six NFL teams is a large number to keep up with and root for over the course of a season, there were a couple of glaring omissions from the list. Former Denver Broncos coach John Fox is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, and the Bears weren’t included on Peyton’s list. Manning’s father, Archie, was the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints for 11 seasons, and they were also excluded.

That’s not to say Manning can’t incorporate these teams into his NFL fandom in the future. There are no limits on such things. Just ask Drake or Kenny Chesney.

RIP BUDDY RYAN: Buddy Ryan, the father of Buffalo Bills coaches Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan, died on Monday night at the age of 82.

Ryan is best known as a longtime NFL coach who led some of the best defenses of all time, including the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears. After eight seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Bears, Ryan was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for five seasons and later had a brief stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

In addition to Ryan’s contributions as a football coach, he also served as a master sergeant in the Korean War.

JAGUARS LB ARRESTED: Dan Skuta was arrested last week and charged with misdemeanor battery following an altercation with a woman who declined to give Skuta her phone number. The Jaguars released a statement indicating that the team is aware of the situation and is gathering more information.

Skuta’s firing back, though. The linebacker’s lawyer released a statement on Tuesday that alleges Skuta and his girlfriend were attacked by two women and he never did anything more than tell them to leave him alone. The lawyer also claims that Skuta has witnesses to corroborate his story.

If the assault allegations turn out to be true, however, the Jaguars should cut Skuta immediately.

NFL NEWS FOR THE SOLE: Rams cornerback Coty Sensabaugh and his wife, Dominique, decided to forgo a honeymoon following their May wedding, opting instead to visit the Dominican Republic to provide shoes to people in need. Their generosity wasn’t limited to the trip itself. The newlyweds also requested that friends and family donate either shoes or money to Soles4Souls, a non-profit dedicated to providing shoes to those who need them.

ANDREW LUCK, BROWNS QB: A 5-yard run by Maurice Jones-Drew at the end of the 2011 season altered the NFL Draft that spring. If Jones-Drew hadn’t gotten that first down, today’s NFL would be very different.

THE DORIAN GRAY OF THE NFL: Julius Peppers is “ageless,” according to Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Peppers, 36, says he feels 26, and he credits his preparation and workout routine as the reasons he has continued to play at a high level. Peppers is, of course, one of the players the league will interview in connection with the Al-Jazeera America report that alleged PED use.

THE ORIGINAL LEBRON: Former Chiefs head coach Hank Stram wanted to sign Wilt Chamberlain once upon a time. Can you imagine a cornerback going up against a 7’1 Wilt the Stilt in the end zone?