Peyton Manning to own 21 Papa John’s franchises

Peyton Manning will invest in 21 Papa John’s pizza franchises in his first season as the Denver Broncos’ quarterback.

“It’s a smart investment now and will be long after I’m done playing football,” Manning said in a statement.

Manning will be introduced as the company’s newest franchisee in the Denver area during a television spot with Papa John’s Chief Executive John Schnatter tomorrow during the telecast of NBC’s “Football Night in America.”

“I don’t know of a person or business partner who has a higher standard on quality or competes more fiercely than Peyton Manning — on and off the field,” Schnatter said in a statement. “Having Peyton as a franchisee is a huge win for our brand, especially for our customers in Denver, where our business has never been better.”

Manning’s involvement with the Louisville, Kentucky-based company goes back to 2011 when he was featured in the restaurant’s free-pizza giveaway to customers who correctly guessed the coin toss for Super Bowl XLVI.

Manning, a four-time Most Valuable Player, was let go by the Indianapolis Colts after 14 years when he missed the 2011 season following neck-fusion surgery. He then signed a five-year deal with the Broncos.

Papa John’s is in the third year of a multiyear sponsorship with the National Football League, and, besides the Broncos and Colts, is also the official pizza of the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins.