Being one of the best to ever play the quarterback position and someone who will be in Canton very soon, Peyton Manning is called upon even in retirement to address teams across the NFL. He has loads of wisdom to share with current players, and he is more than willing to pass that down.
But during these times when coronavirus has been impacting the normalcy of NFL's offseason training leading up to the new season, Manning isn't just relying on his own tricks of the trade.
He's dipping in to what he's learned from his brother: Giants legendary QB Eli Manning.
The one event that the elder Manning can relate to with the current situation going on in the league is the 2011 NFL lockout that occurred when both the league and NFLPA were going through CBA negotiations. With players and coaches not able to talk or train with one another, it was hard for players to train how they saw fit for the new year.
Eli found a way, though, and that's what Peyton has been preaching, he told NBC Sports' Peter King.
"Eli talked about organizing their own workouts and taking some ownership," Peyton said about his brother's preparation before the 2011 season in which the Giants went on to win Super Bowl XLVI. "Eli got practice scripts, like blitz walk-through drawings, diagrams, he got practice jerseys, he organized workouts at a high school. He was kind of the head coach/coordinator and they were doing full routes and doing 7-on-7 and blitzes at practice. He was really thorough."
Manning has been telling that story to the likes of the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Chicago Bears. His message was "follow Eli's lead."
Back then, it was easier to organize these workouts because there wasn't a global pandemic that limited proximity to people and how many people are allowed in one area. On the flip side, players and coaches are allowed to talk over video conferencing, which every team has participated in for weeks now.
While the circumstances may be different, Manning knows that his brother's general mindset to get to work however possible is the best way for these teams to be as prepared as they can for when they are allowed to convene at their facilities when the time is right.
Video: 2008: Eli Manning and Peyton Manning talk Tyree catch
"My message was to the quarterbacks. 'Hey, organize your own Zoom meetings without the coaches, just get you and the tight ends, you and the receivers,'" Manning explained. "It's actually an opportunity to even have better communication. Because there's nothing else to do, right? Hey, every Tuesday, 9 a.m., quarterbacks and the offensive line, Zoom, watching film. Instead of complaining about it, see it as an opportunity to really improve. There's no reason you shouldn't have every play from last year studied down to the T."
In the Giants' case, Daniel Jones -- Eli Manning's successor -- is following that lesson by making sure he's connected with his teammates as much as possible outside of scheduled meetings with coaches. He's also finding the time to work out down in North Carolina whenever he can while following social distancing guidelines.
It's just as new head coach Joe Judge put it when he said the most prepared team during this tough time will have the advantage when the season comes along. And that mirrors what Manning believes.
"I think the team that wins it all this year is gonna be the team that's really getting an edge during this time," he said. "Kind of like the Giants in 2011."
As the Giants prepare like that now, they certainly hope to find the same result as that squad in 2020.