Peyton Manning has decided to retire after an 18-year career and will make the official announcement on Monday as he steps away from the game after 18 seasons and two Super Bowl victories.
Manning was a record five-time MVP and there’s no doubt he helped the Denver Broncos – considered the underdog – win Super Bowl 50, yet he’s closing the chapter as of Sunday, said the Denver Broncos.
It appears Manning is choosing to go out will he’s still at the top considering it as been only a few weeks after he won his second Super Bowl title. Friends of Manning since the beginning, Vice President John Elway and coach Gary Kubiak were contacted on Saturday night by the NFL’s legend to inform them of his plans. As the football legend prepares to step down from an amazing career, Manning leaves much more than just the records, and Super Bowl victories.
Although Peyton’s records and winning tracks are quite impressive, he leaves his legacy as the man who redefined what a franchise quarterback looked like, acted like and set the bar high in terms of mental aptitude and preparation. In fact, for this last season, Manning defined his team’s success as records show how his teams rarely won if he didn’t play well, according to the NFL.
Along his many awards during his long career, Manning holds 14 4,000-yard passing seasons and it’s worth pointing out that he’s the only quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises. And even if Peyton Manning doesn’t fit in the NFL’s prototype for players, aside from his 6-foot-5 height and 230 pounds, he will leave many teachings for future quarterbacks to learn.
Mind over strength
Manning was never fast, his deep throws didn’t reach its mark and he isn’t considered mobile enough, however, he counted with a mechanical cleanness in his habits and approaches in the field. The parts of Peyton’s game that made him special and will serve as a guide for future quarterbacks to look upon are not his physical qualities, but his mental aptitude and preparation for the game.
“When you look at everything Peyton has accomplished as a player and person, it’s easy to see how fortunate we’ve been to have him on our team,” said John Elway in an interview with ESPN. “Peyton was everything that we thought he was and even more –not only for the football team, but in the community.”
Surely enough, Peyton’s send-off from the football field will leave many fans missing the acclaimed quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He arrived at the Broncos as a free agent in 2012 and won America’s heart by authoring the most prolific season of any quarterback in history a year later. According to ESPN, the Broncos made two Super Bowl trips in Manning’s final three seasons. Manning will retire as a champion, after 18 years of competently playing the game at age 39.
Source: ESPN