As of Monday March 7, Denver Bronco’s quarterback Peyton Manning has officially retired from the NFL after 18 seasons. After hearing an enormous amount of rumors by all sports media sources, the Broncos organization held a press conference to allow Manning to announce his exit from football himself.
As we reflect on Peyton’s marvelous career we can’t help but look at the statistics. Peyton threw for more passing yards and more touchdowns than any quarterback dead or alive. He won a record five league MVP awards. Last month he became the oldest starter to win a Super Bowl and the only quarterback to win one for different franchises. Peyton will be one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play and the NFL will miss him.
Peyton, son of former Saints quarterback Archie Manning and brother of current New York Giants quarterback, Eli, left the NFL with a certain standard that few will reach. Not only did he play for 18 years, but Peyton also continued to dominant even at his ‘old age’ of 39. Peyton threw for 539 passing touchdowns and 71,940 yards. He also holds the single season touchdown record with 55 in 2013. He threw for the most passing yards in a single season with 5,477 in 2013. He has the most wins including the playoffs with 201. He’s thrown for 300+ yards 93 times. He’s tied for the most touchdowns in a game with 7 in 2013. This list goes on and on but it is safe to say that Peyton Manning is one of the greatest to EVER play the game of football.
Peyton, nicknamed the sheriff, took being a quarterback to a new level. He not only was a terrific passer but also an outstanding clock manager. Peyton will always be known for his new levels of study, preparation and in-the-moment execution. It is using all those physical gifts and matching it with a mind that the game of football has never seen. He gave defenses nightmares because they always tried to outsmart him—and always failed.
As said to ESPN, Manning comments on his preparation for games saying, “When I look back on my NFL career, I’ll know without a doubt that I gave everything I had to help my teams walk away with a win,” Peyton said. “There were other players that were more talented but there was no one who could out-prepare me. And because of that, I have no regrets.”
Peyton Manning is one of the greatest football players of all time. At his best, he epitomized the combination of physical and mental talents it takes to be an elite NFL quarterback. He was improvisational and mechanical at the same time, reading defenses and directing receivers to get open, then finding them with perfectly thrown balls. The game of football has permanently changed for the better because of him.
All in all, Peyton concluded his retirement speech with a quote that reminds us that life is bigger than the game of football. “I’m totally convinced that the end of my football career is just the beginning of something I haven’t even discovered yet. Life is not shrinking from me, it’s morphing into a whole new world of possibilities.”
Thank you, Peyton, for the endless memories and the great quarterback play you brought to the NFL. You have shaped the sport forever.
