Peyton Manning got behind the wheel of late NFL legend John Madden's bus ... hilariously attempting to steal the iconic Madden Cruiser from the Pro Football Hall of Fame!!
But no need to check the jail records ... it was all part of the quarterback's "Peyton's Places" show on ESPN, where Manning and 49ers great John Taylor got an up-close experience with the vehicle.
In a clip of the Omaha Productions project, Manning and Taylor line-hop to get right onto the bus in Canton ... before the two-time Super Bowl champ decides to make a run for it!!
Of course, Madden -- who was famously terrified of flying -- would crisscross the country in his luxurious Madden Cruiser, going from city to city, depending on his broadcasting schedule.
The whip was actually a Greyhound bus before Madden flipped it in the late '80s.
The Madden Cruiser has now been restored to its original condition ... including two color TVS, radio, two laser disc players, stereo and VHS layer.
The whole episode airs on Sunday ... and we're sure there will be a lot more debauchery.