Sen. Bob Corker said he thinks that “nobody in their right mind” would consider running against former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning if he were to run for a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Reporters caught up with Corker, R-Tenn., who on Tuesday announced he would not seek re-election in 2018 — news that immediately sparked speculation on who might compete for his seat, including talk about a Manning campaign.
“Is it possible? I think it’s possible. Is it likely? I don’t know,” Corker said in a short exchange with reporters shown on MSNBC on Wednesday.
Corker cautioned that a “huge rush of public inquiries” might scare Manning away from a run for office “because I think he’s enjoying the private sector life that he’s leading right now.”
However, Corker added, “if he were to run — nobody in their right mind would consider running against him I don’t think.”
Manning played football for the University of Tennessee before moving on to the NFL, where over an 18-season career with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos he won two Super Bowls.
A Tennessee Republican source told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that Manning was one of three names that came to mind as potential GOP candidates to compete for Corker’s seat, along with Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Gov. Bill Haslam.
Meanwhile, Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., also floated Manning as a possibility, but for 2020 if Sen. Lamar Alexander decides against seeking re-election.
