While this shouldn’t surprise anyone, Peyton Manning will reportedly announce his decision to retire from the NFL before this week is up. Woody Paige of the Denver Post, citing two sources, reports Manning will not be coming back to play with the Denver Broncos in 2016 and that he has no plans of playing for any other team, either.
This makes sense for a number of reasons.
Winning Super Bowl 50 likely has a lot to do with Manning’s reported willingness to finally hang up his cleats, pads and helmet for good after playing competitively for most of his life. Going out on top is the dream of almost every professional athlete, and Manning has a chance to do just that.
It’s also true that Manning has declined precipitously in the past few seasons. It’s hard to believe, watching him struggle badly most of this past season, that it’s only been three seasons removed since he smashed all kinds of passing records with the 2013 Broncos.
Yet this past season it was crystal clear that his body just cannot continue taking the abuse it has endured for nearly 30 years. He didn’t have the ability to drive the ball down the field, and the little mobility he once had was almost completely gone — his inspiring first-down run against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game notwithstanding.
Another reason this makes sense, both for Manning and the Broncos, is that if he does announce his retirement this week Denver will have some time to attempt contract negotiations with Brock Osweiler before he hits free agency.
If this is the last we’ve seen of Manning, there is no doubt he will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. The legendary gunslinger has all kinds of records, which the folks at SB Nation did a fine job of compiling recently.
Here are a few highlights:
- NFL career passing touchdown record: 539
- Most passing yards, career: 71,940
- Single season touchdown record (2013): 55
- Most passing yards, season (2013): 5,477
- Most wins (including playoffs): 200
And now Manning has two Super Bowl rings to his credit.
There have been all sorts of indicators to suggest this is indeed the time for Manning to retire. He reportedly told friends that he would be retiring after this season before Super Bowl 50, and he famously told New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick after the championship game that “this might be my last rodeo.”
A sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer in five years, he’s a legend among legends. Every legendary career must come to an end, and he couldn’t have picked a better time to ride off into the sunset.