Peyton Manning. What can you say about the guy except “Man, that guy is good.” Manning is truly one of the all-time greats and a legend among modern football fans. However, he has dropped a lot of hints that he is probably retiring following Super Bowl 50. A lot of fans are saying that Manning still has a lot of good years left in him, but I say Manning just needs to hang up his cleats and ride off into the sunset. Manning’s win in Super Bowl 50 marked his 200th career victory, the most wins in NFL history surpassing legendary quarterback Brett Favre. What else does Manning have to prove? There is almost nothing the man has not done,
Currently, Manning holds the record for:
Most career passing yards: 71,940
Most career touchdown passes: 539
Most career wins by a quarterback: 200
Most touchdown passes, season: 55 (2013)
Most seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards: 14 (1999–2004, 2006–2010, 2012–2014)
Most passing yards, season: 5,477 (2013)
4 time MVP award winner
2 time Super Bowl champion
Needless to say, Peyton Manning has enjoyed one of the most successful and storied careers in NFL history. So should Manning retire? Yes. It was painful as a football fan this season to watch how Manning played this season in and out of the playoffs. Manning started the first half of the season and he was statistically the worst starting quarterback in the league, something no one ever thought they would hear. Manning had the lowest quarterback rating in the league among qualified starters; he threw 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. In the playoffs he threw 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but he helped lead his team to the Super Bowl. It’s crazy because only two years ago, Manning had the single greatest regular season anyone has ever had with 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns while leading one of the best offenses we have seen in the last few years. However, in that same season,Manning could not lead their team to victory after an embarrassing 43-8 thrashing by the Seahawks.
I think one of the things fans will miss most is classic Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning matchup. Brady and Manning have defined the post 2000 era of football. It is almost firsthand knowledge that if you are asked who are the two best quarterbacks in the last twenty years, Peyton and Tom are at the top of the list. These two have had arguably the greatest one on one rivalry in NFL history. Every game these guys played against each other were spectacles. However, the crazy part is that pretty much every game they have ever played against each other has lived up to the hype. In the rivalry, Manning has bested Brady in touchdowns and yards while Brady tops Manning in completion percentage and has thrown fewer interceptions. These two are no strangers in the playoffs, both having played four times, won two and lost two with Manning winning the last two. Overall advantage goes to Brady with an 11-6 record against Manning, but it is a fantastic rivalry nonetheless.
The thing that fans will miss most about Manning is the amount of class and respect that he plays with. Manning is a well-known born again Christian and says that he places God first in all that he does. He is a class act always congratulating a winning team and never attempting to malign any other player in the league. Shortly after beginning his career in the NFL Manning opened the Peyback foundation. The foundation’s mission is to help disadvantaged kids in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Indiana. Manning received the Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or under for his work in making his foundation. In 2005 Manning, and his brother Eli, volunteered to help in the recovery of the city of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Manning and his brother helped to deliver 30,000 pounds of water, Gatorade, baby formula, diapers, and pillows to the people of New Orleans. As you can see, Manning is a class act and will be missed by NFL fans around the world.
Written by Kenny Quinn
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