Not all jokes are meant to crack people up. Those made at someone’s cost can create gorges. NFL legend Peyton Manning took a shot at one such nasty kid at the hottest pop couple’s expense, that rained heavily on a certain NFL franchise. So much so that the team had to clap back in its defense. This is only justified, given the fact that Manning cracked his joke on national television while hosting country music’s biggest award ceremony, with millions of people watching all over the globe. 

The world has been swooning over the Swift effect, and many, including Manning, have acknowledged the same on multiple occasions. The Pop sensation’s romantic rendezvous with Kansas City Chief’s tight end, Travis Kelce has been making headlines since the duo was spotted spending time together in September. The duo seems to have an electric effect, with even Kelse’s performance records soaring high with Swift in the audience. Kelce’s ‘lucky charm’ might have been so lucky for Rodger’s team after Manning weaponized it into a stingy joke. What’s more, this is not even the first time the former Colts and Broncos quarterback spewed some Swift sarcasm. 

Manning mans down the Jets at the CMAs

The legendary quarterback with an outstanding NFL career spanning over 18 years has made his mark both on and off the football field. He has shifted gears post his retirement into broadcasting and hosting multiple shows and ceremonies. He returned to host the 57th annual Country Music Association Awards this year along with co-host and singer Luke Bryan for the second time in a row. The dynamic duo started of commenced the star-studded night with a rather harsh joke. Bryan playfully quipped that he and Manning were hosting because “Travis and Taylor weren’t available.” Manning then set up Bryan for a lighthearted jab at the expense of the Jets. “What is the difference between Tayloe Swift and the Jets?” asked the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame quarterback. “Taylor can sell out a stadium,” Bryan replied, to everyone’s shock. 

The joke might be funny for the moment, but it did not sit well with the franchise. They reverted with a cheeky response to Manning’s comments on platform X, formerly Twitter, posting a comparison carousel with Manning’s joke on the left and a picture of a jam-packed MetLife Stadium during an unspecified game. “What are we talking about Peyton?” the caption read. Well, if you were wondering that this is the first time the football sensation tried his hand at a Swift stinger, you are mistaken. 

Manning’s Swift stingers on Manningcast 

A short while back, during the Seahawks-Giants episode of ManningCast, featuring the legendary quarterback and his brother Eli, Manning was bothered about the lackluster first half of the game and sought alternative topics. Eli took the opportunity to crack a joke about Taylor Swift, and Peyton used the moment to playfully criticize both teams.

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“Is Taylor Swift not at this game? I thought she goes to MetLife for all the New York games,” quipped Eli Manning drawing reference from the pop sensation’s over-hyped and publicized appearances for the Jets-Chiefs game in the same stadium on Sunday. “If she was at this game, she left,” was Peyton’s cheeky reply, which served as an apt roast for both the teams. With the Taylor-Travis fever reaching new heights, everyone seems to be joining in on the ride, however, both NFL fans and Swifters eagerly await an official confirmation validation of the rumored romance.  

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