Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. During his 18 seasons in the NFL, he won two Super Bowl titles, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. After winning Super Bowl 50 in 2016, Peyton, 47, retired from playing. Since he stopped playing, Peyton, 47, hasn’t slowed down at all. He’s taken part in numerous other projects, including his ESPN+ documentary series Peyton’s Place. Perhaps most notably though, he hosted the 2022 CMA Awards alongside country star Luke Bryan. They did such a great job that they were both invited to host the 2023 CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 8.
Besides an amazing quarterback (and great CMA Awards host), Peyton is also a loving husband and father. He married his wife Ashley Thompson Manning in 2001, and they had fraternal twins, Marshall Williams Manning and Mosley Thompson Manning, both 12, in 2011. Before playing in the Super Bowl in 2014, the NFL hall-of-famer gushed about his family in an interview with People. “My entire family keeps me positive and they always support me,” he said. “They will be coming to town to be with me. Without them, I would not be where I am today. I am very grateful.”
Ahead of his job hosting the CMA Awards, get to know more about Peyton’s two pre-teens.
Marshall Williams Manning
Peyton met Ashley while they were in college, and the pair eventually got married in 2011. After a decade of being husband and wife, the pair welcomed their twins on March 31, 2011 and became “mom and dad.” While both kids mostly keep private, they have accompanied their dad to some of the biggest events of his career. Marshall made headlines when his dad brought him to his postgame press conference following the 2016 AFC Championship win. He adorably hid behind his dad while he spoke to reporters, per USA Today. He was wearing his dad’s number 18, while rocking Broncos colors.
Naturally, Marshall is a huge football fan. He was spotted with his dad at plenty of games through the NFL playoffs in 2023. Even though his dad is one of the greats, Peyton has admitted that his son will wear jerseys for his current favorite players, like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. “They don’t [wear my jerseys]” he said in a 2021 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “It’s very humbling having to ski with a Chiefs jersey right next to ya, but since I’m related to the kid, I feel like I have to do it.”
Mosley Thompson Manning
When Peyton announced his retirement in 2016, he sweetly included Mosley in his speech. “A week before the Super Bowl, our daughter Mosley asked me, ‘Daddy, is this the last game?’ ‘Yes, Mosley, it’s the last game of the season.’ ‘I sure do want you to win that trophy.’ ‘I do, too, Mosley. And that’s what we’re going to try to do,” he said, per People. “Then she asked, ‘Daddy, is this the last game ever?'”
After Peyton retired, he admitted that spending time with his kids was his main focus in an interview with WISH-TV. “That will always be priority: to be around, and I enjoyed taking them to school, and the sports are starting out,” he said. He also revealed that both kids played flag football, and their coach asked him to be an assistant coach, but he declined due to a lack of pass plays. “I’m gonna be a parent and be a fan,” he joked.
Like her brother, Mosley also doesn’t wear her dad’s jerseys when skiing. In the above-mentioned interview with Kelly Clarkson, the two-time Super Bowl champ revealed his daughter’s favorite player was the Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Also like her brother, she’s been there for quite a few big moments. She walked the red carpet with her dad at the 2015 ESPY awards and posed for a cute photo.