Not Jerry Rice: Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning reveals the one WR he wishes he could’ve played with

Peyton Manning is undoubtedly considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, with two Super Bowl titles to his name. During his career, he was able to share the field with some truly great players; however, he revealed which wide receiver he would have liked to throw to at some point, leaving Jerry Rice out of the discussion.

His comments come from an interview conducted in July 2024, when the former Colts and Broncos quarterback attended the premiere of the Netflix series Receiver. There, the legendary QB was asked which wide receiver in NFL history he’d love to throw to — someone he never had the chance to play with during his career.

While recounting, in a lighthearted way, the many great teammates he was able to run routes with on the field, Manning began ruling out the legendary receivers he had the privilege of playing alongside. Eventually, he landed on a historic name from the Baltimore Colts: Raymond Berry.

“I got to play with a number of them in the Pro Bowl,” said Manning. “I got to play with Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez, so I guess that eliminates them. Playing with Marvin [Harrison] and Reggie [Wayne] and Demaryius [Thomas] and Emmanuel [Sanders] in real football.

“One? Raymond Berry, [an] old Baltimore Colt. I’m going with Raymond Berry. Got to spend some time with him. He was a true master of his craft. The way he studied film, the way he studied precision route running. Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry had great timing. I think it would be Raymond Berry.”

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The legend of Raymond Berry

Manning’s choice of the player he would’ve liked to take a few official snaps with is no coincidence. Raymond Berry, perhaps from a different era of the NFL, was one of the league’s top wideouts back in the late 1950s.

Coming from the SMU Mustangs, Berry was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 1954 draft with the 232nd pick in the 20th round. From that point on, his entire career was spent with the same team, achieving two historic milestones.

In both 1958 and 1959, his team was crowned league champions, defeating the New York Giants in the title game on both occasions. Berry was a key player in those matches and, throughout his career, he was a six-time Pro Bowler. Additionally, he led the league in receptions and receiving yards three times each.