Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning Set to Retire on Top

In what has been a monumental, first ballot Hall of Fame career, the legend – Peyton Manning, has decided to hang up his cleats for good as he is set to officially announce his retirement on Monday.

Peyton Manning has spent the last 18 years (fitting for his number – 18) throwing touchdowns and racking up passing yards that in the end, wound up being the most of any quarterback of all time. His career numbers are so astonishing that they need to be addressed almost immediately.

Manning has finished his career the all-time leader in an abundance of major categories, including:

1) Passing yards (71,940)

2) Touchdown passes (539)

3) Career leader in combined regular-season and playoff win by a quarterback (200)

4) AP NFL MVP awards (5)

5) NFL single season records in passing touchdowns (55) and passing yards (5,477) in 2013

6) Most playoff appearance by quarterback by postseason (15)

7) Times named to Pro Bowl (Tied with 14)

Manning, additionally, was the only quarterback to ever lead two different franchises to Super Bowl victories – the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI, and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

Number 18 will most certainly go down as a top three quarterback in the history of the NFL, and arguably, the greatest to ever play.

His contributions on and off the field have paved the way for new generations of NFL players to follow in his footsteps as he set the standard and the definition of a “professional football player.” Manning has the ‘PeyBack” foundation that helps the disadvantaged youth throughout the states of Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, and Louisiana – all of the states Manning has called home throughout his career. Manning took home the NFL Man of the Year Award in 2005 and the Bart Starr Award this past season (2015) for his off the field and community efforts.

His respect and deep history for the game was found in every snap he ever took as he was the ultimate student of the game. Manning was by far the smartest quarterback to ever lace up his cleats as his physical ability dominated throughout his career, but maybe more so – his mental and cognitive ability to dissect defenses and manipulate them to his exact specifications were something the league has never seen – and may never will.

Broncos executive vice president of football operations and general manager, John Elway (who also retired after winning (back-to-back) Super Bowls with the Broncos) seems to agree with me and had some kind words for Manning: “There’s no question that his work ethic is what made him into one of the great quarterbacks of all time,” said Elway via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “All the film study Peyton did and the process that he went through with game planning and understanding what the other teams did was second-to-none.”

Manning led his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, to playoff appearances in 11 of his first 13 seasons – including two Super Bowl berths and one win in Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears, 29-17. In Manning’s four years with Denver, he led his team to an AFC West title, making two Super Bowl appearances and finishing with a win about just four weeks ago in Super Bowl 50.

Trying to analyze the best seasons in Manning’s career is difficult because in every season of his career that he played he had over 25 touchdown passes and over 3,700 yards (except in 2015 an injury-riddled season).

Feb 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning waves to the crowd during the Super Bowl 50 championship parade at Civic Center Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Throughout his 13 years (on the field) as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. If I had to pick statistically his best seasons, I would have to choose 2004 and 2010.

Manning’s 2004 season had him throwing for 4,557 passing yards and 49 touchdowns. In Manning’s 2010 season, he passed for 4,700 yards and 33 touchdowns – which would be his last time on the field as a member of the Colts due to injuries and neck surgery keeping him out of the entire 2011 season.

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What’s truly amazing is that after Manning’s surgery and the Colts and Manning departed ways to move on from him and draft Andrew Luck, many throughout the league thought he would never be the same. When Manning arrived in Denver in 2012, his numbers from 2012-2014 were arguably the best of his career.

Coming off serious neck surgery, Manning lit up 2012. Playing in all 16 games, he completed 400 of 583 for 4,659 passing yards with 37 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a QBR of 105.8.

That is one way to prove doubters wrong. The other way, is to come back the following season and have one of the best single seasons in NFL history. In 2013, Manning played in all 16 games, completing 450-of-659 passes for 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns (the latter two marks both single-season league records) with only 10 interceptions and a QBR of 115.1. Unfortunately, that season ended in a demoralizing Super Bowl XLVIII loss, 43-8 to the Seahawks.

The following year in 2014, Manning was terrific once again as he completed 395-of-597 throws for 4,727 yards and 39 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a QBR of 101.5.

Unfortunately for Manning’s statistics in 2015, they were the lowest in many categories of his career – and that is mainly due to built up injuries causing him to miss six games. Once he returned in the second half of what proved to be a Week 17 win over the San Diego Chargers, the rest was history for Manning .

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So Manning has decided to retire and hang up his cleats for the final time just about four weeks after he and the Broncos won Super Bowl 50. His magnificent career can only be defined as one of the best – if not the best quarterback to ever play. He dazzled, electrified, and was a magician on the field. Manning had been critiqued for sometime about only have one Super Bowl win on his resume. Well, now he has captured that illustrious second ring and there are no more doubts, no more games, and no more wins he has to prove to anyone.

Thank you, Peyton and enjoy those competitive flag football games in your near future – which I’m sure will be fierce and filled with mental games because that is the only way you know how to compete (remember SNL’s United Way skit?).

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