Like most broadcasters, Peyton Manning usually meets with the starting quarterback of each team a day or two before his Monday night "ManningCast" with brother Eli.
Two years in a row, he has not gotten to talk to the Patriots' starting quarterback, Mac Jones.
Last year, Manning explained that he was led to believe that the Patriots wanted to limit off-field distractions for Jones during his rookie season.
Well, Jones is no longer a rookie this season, but Manning still didn't get to talk to him prior to Monday's Patriots-Bears game.
According to Manning, the Patriots declined his request because they didn't want anyone, including Manning, to know who the starting quarterback would be.
It wound up being Jones, but that wasn't made official until shortly before kickoff. Jones missed the previous three games with an ankle injury and was officially listed as questionable for Monday after a week of limited practices.
Fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe won both of his starts replacing both Jones and Brian Hoyer. He had completed 51 of 70 passes (72.9%) for 596 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 111.4 passer rating.
Jones, meanwhile, had struggled prior to his injury, going 1-2 and completing 64 of 97 passes (66.0%) for 786 yards, two touchdowns, five interceptions and a 76.2 passer rating. That had given rise to a bit of a quarterback controversy, one that Bill Belichick's vagueness only added fuel to.
The Patriots have another Monday Night Football game that will include a ManningCast later this season, when they travel to Arizona on Dec. 12. Perhaps Manning will be able to talk to Jones (or Zappe?) then.