The San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, and it will be a pretty big day for home team. The day before, the Colts will unveil a Peyton Manning statue outside the stadium, and at halftime of the game, Manning’s jersey will be retired and he will be inducted into the ring of honor.
The honors are not at all surprising, and it is plenty fitting that this happens against the 49ers. We all recall Jim Harbaugh “evaluating” Manning during the 2012 offseason. The 49ers had gone to the NFC title game, but with Manning on the market, the 49ers looked at ways to upgrade from Alex Smith. This was before Colin Kaepernick had replaced Smith, and it is one of the many all-time “what ifs” in 49ers history. Harbaugh denied making a push for Manning, but we all know what was really going on.
Manning also won a Super Bowl at the 49ers home stadium, and as Chris Biderman pointed out, he broke the touchdown passing record agains the 49ers back in 2014. Even though the two teams rarely play, there is plenty of history. It’s also sort of fitting that Frank Gore is on the Colts at this point. The 49ers will eventually have a formal honoring of Gore after he retires. I suppose the fitting ceremony will be when the 49ers face the Colts again in four years!