How Peyton Manning once convinced Wes Welker to ditch Patriots and sign with Broncos by ditching golf game with Dan Marino

Payton Manning had to ditch a golf game with Dan Marino to get Wes Welker to sign with the Denver Broncos.

Manning signed with the Broncos ahead of the 2012 season and after his first season in Denver, the quarterback wanted to add more weapons and targeted Welker as someone the team should sign.

While Manning was golfing with Marino, he says he skipped a hole to call Welker and recruit him to the Broncos.

“I remember being down in Miami. I was playing golf with Dan Marino saying I gotta skip this hole. I called Wes Welker and went into full college recruiting mode. It was a par five, it gave me lots of time to give him all my cheesy pitch lines and seal the deal," Manning said back in 2022 on the Games with Names podcast.

Welker ended up signing a two-year, $12 million contract with Denver, in large part due to Manning's recruitment.

In his first season with the Broncos, Welker recorded 73 receptions for 778 yards and 10 touchdowns. Welker played one more year with Denver and left in free agency to sign with the St. Louis Rams, while Manning and the Broncos won Super 50 the year Welker left.

Peyton Manning & Wes Welker's friendship

Part of the reason Peyton Manning recruited Wes Welker to the Denver Broncos was due to the friendship they had.

Since both have retired from football, the two have remained close, and this year, as Manning was coaching the Pro Bowl, he jokingly hired Wes Welker as his offensive coordinator,

Manning says he needed to make a change and wanted to win, so he gave his old friend a call.

"I sent Wes a long voice memo, I think it was 15 minutes it was short," Manning said on The Pat McAfee show, via The Sun. "Kind of what my thought process was last year, what the rules are, what the defenses are. In classic Welker form, he said 'Peyton these are great plays, but you lost last year. I'm bringing my own stuff.' Look, a lot of pressure is on him. He's gotta come in and do the job."

Manning and Welker did have success on offense but the AFC once again lost in the Pro Bowl to the NFC 64-59.