We may not know about Peyton Manning’s immediate future for a while, but we do know one thing. When he does retire, Jim Irsay wants it to be with the Indianapolis Colts.
Jim Irsay wants PFM to retire as a Colt. https://t.co/dCcVxS1Klg via youtube
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) February 19, 2016
This would certainly be a nice, full-circle move for Manning.
With the exception of Johnny Unitas, nobody comes close to Manning in Colts history, and nobody is in the same stratosphere as Manning in the Indianapolis era. Hypothetically speaking, it’s probable that if they had drafted Ryan Leaf instead of Manning in 1998, the Colts would not even be in Indianapolis anymore.
Given all of that, it’s certainly appropriate that when Manning does hang it up, it will be with the Colts, even if it’s only a one-day contract and his final game came in another uniform.
It’s also not at all unprecedented for a player to sign a one-day contract to retire with the team he was most known for playing with. Most recently, Justin Tuck announced that he plans on signing a one-day deal to retire with the New York Giants after spending his final years with the Oakland Raiders.
Manning played with the Colts from 1998-2011, though he missed all of the 2011 season. With Manning as their quarterback, the Colts won a Super Bowl and two AFC Championships. His 71,940 career passing yards and 539 touchdown passes are both NFL records, of which 54,828 yards and 399 touchdown passes came in a Colts jersey.