If Eli Manning is to be believed, we’ve been living a lie.
Who comes to mind when the word “Omaha” is mentioned? For most football fans, the logical answer would be Peyton Manning, the Pro Football Hall of Famer and five-time NFL MVP who made almost as many headlines for his quirky and elaborate audibles as he did for his stellar play on the field.
But according to Eli, Peyton wasn’t the first quarterback to use the audible. The ex-New York Giants QB claims that he—not older brother Peyton—first uttered the famous cadence during a 2007 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Manning posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday morning staking first claim to “Omaha” and pointing to video evidence to back his claim.
This video is proof that I used “Omaha” years before Peyton. https://t.co/1qjWOZNoEd
— Eli Manning (@EliManning) January 6, 2024
In the clip, which features action from the Giants’ game against the visiting Eagles on Sept. 30, 2007, Eli Manning walked up to the line of scrimmage, and while directing traffic, audibly barked “Omaha” with five seconds left on the play clock. Manning then captioned the video as “proof” that he used the term before his brother did.
If this is true, then football fans everywhere might owe Eli an apology for giving Peyton full credit for the cadence. Either way, the Manning brothers have kept the signature call in the family.
