Polian: Peyton Manning could be immediately successful in GM role

A lot of parallels have been made between Peyton Manning and John Elway, who retired after winning his second Super Bowl championship at the age of 38 and went on to join the Denver Broncos' front office.

Should Manning decide to take on a management role, Hall of Famer Bill Polian believes he could have immediate success.

"I believe he could very quickly fill the role that John Elway fills with the Broncos," Polian told SiriusXM NFL Radio, Chris Vannini of coachingsearch.com reports. "The reason I say that is, during our 14 years together in Indianapolis, he would often discuss with me prospects coming out in the draft, SEC players he'd seen, players he'd seen in other parts of the country. He pays close attention to the rosters of the other players in the league, with specific attention to the AFC.

"He knew the strengths and weaknesses of every player on every defense in the AFC and many on offense, because he met them and got to know them at the Pro Bowl and soaked up information. He is a football nerd, as am I. He's more than prepared to do that job."

Manning has remained mum on his future plans, telling "The TODAY Show" on Monday that he plans to take "a few more weeks" to celebrate his Super Bowl win before making a decision.

Elway served as CEO of the Indoor Football League's Colorado Crush from 2003-08 before joining the Broncos as general manager in 2011, more than a decade after his playing career came to an end. Polian thinks Manning is prepared enough to take over an NFL team right out of the gate.

"All he would need would be a brief tutorial on the league rules and things like the general terms of trades and contract language - of which he's also very familiar, because of his own contract," Polian said. "He's well-prepared to do that. He could step right from the playing field into a role like that, because he's ready. I don't know that he will, but if someone wanted him to do it, he would be ready immediately to do it."