Peyton Manning: 3 possible destinations for 2016

Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback

(18) on the sidelines before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2015 has been an incredibly disappointing year for Peyton Manning. If he’s not back in Denver next year, where will the future Hall of Famer end up?

Peyton Manning is not the player he once as, and it’s really not even close. It’s not his fault, really. He’s just old.

However, Mike Florio of NBC Sports reports Peyton does not intend to retire after this season. In fact, Manning still plans to play this year.

Florio writes, “Manning is ‘absolutely determined’ to get himself healthy, according to a source with knowledge of the situation … Manning firmly believes he’ll play again next year.”

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Florio goes on to allude to the possibility of Manning playing elsewhere in 2016 if the Broncos are ready to move on, saying ‘it’s not crazy’ to think Peyton might go to a team that would give him full control of the offense.

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Peyton’s replacement Brock Osweiler — AKA Robert Pattinson — has played well recently, and he’s even won over his teammates, proving he can be a leader on that team. The team’s only lost one game with Osweiler under center, and they very well could have beaten Oakland if Vernon Davis didn’t forget how to catch.

If Peyton does go to a different team, it’s going to be as a starter. There’s no way the all-time leader in touchdown passes and passing yards is going to hold a clipboard if he still wants to play. There’s just no way.

Unfortunately for Peyton, who is likely looking to go to a team that is ready to compete for a Super Bowl, the teams in the upper-echelon already have franchise quarterbacks. If Manning truly wants to play in 2016, he’s probably going to have to go to a bad team and serve as a bridge quarterback, but that’s essentially what he is at this point in his career.

Whether Peyton should retire or not is not the purpose of this article. For what it’s worth, though, I do think Manning should follow Kobe Bryant’s lead and retire into the sunset after this season.

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