Kansas City Chiefs Owner Acknowledges Serious Interest In Peyton Manning

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CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, in an interview that will air on “CNBC SportsBiz” on the NBC Sports Network at 7pm ET tonight, acknowledges his interest in having Peyton Manning as the next signal caller for his team.

“He’s one of the greatest players in the history of the league,” Hunt said. “He’s also an incredible person. We feel really good about the team we have in Kansas City going into the 2012 season, but we’ll look for any opportunity to improve and, of course, that includes Peyton Manning.”

Last night, Denver sports talk radio host Brandon Spano tweeted that that “the Chiefs were the ONLY team to offer a completed contract to Peyton Manning today.”

Hunt would not confirm the state of negotiations the team had with the quarterback, who was released from the Colts earlier in the week.

“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to talk about discussions at this point, but he is somebody that we’ll talk to,” Hunt said.

The Chiefs are said to be one of 12 teams interested in Manning’s services, ESPN reported, and that Manning will make a decision within the next week.

When asked whether Manning, who has made nearly $175 million in his 14-year career, would name a winner based strictly on money or system, Hunt said “I would think that he will be looking for the situation that fits him best.”

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A fan holds up a t-shirt which reads 'got Peyton' in reference to quarterback Peyton Manning.

“I don’t know how important money will be to him, but I’m sure it will be part of the equation. But he’s going to be looking for an environment that he’s comfortable in.”

The Chiefs are the third most likely to land Peyton, according to odds set by Sportsbook.com. The Miami Dolphins are even odds, the Arizona Cardinals are at 4.5 to 1 and the Chiefs are at 6 to 1.

Tune In:

Watch Clark Hunt’s interview on “CNBC SportsBiz” tonight at 7pm ET. Hunt not only talks about the Chiefs and Manning, he also talks about the growth of the MLS and the two teams he owns, FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew.

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