With the first pick in the 1998 National Football League (NFL) Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton Manning, a quarterback from the University of Tennessee. At the time of the draft, who the Colts would select was a hotly debated topic: Manning, or fellow quarterback Ryan Leaf from Washington State University. Both had very successful college careers, and the Colts needed a franchise quarterback to build around after a disastrous 3-13 campaign in the 1997-98 season. At the time, Leaf was thought to have a stronger arm and bigger NFL potential; however, because of character issues, many experts viewed Manning as a safer pick.
Eventually the Colts decided to take Manning, with the San Diego Chargers settling on Leaf with the second overall pick. Flash forward eighteen years, and football fans and analysts alike see how great of an impact that pick had on the history of the NFL. After playing less than five seasons, Leaf retired from the NFL, regarded as one of the biggest busts in the history of football.
In contrast, Peyton Manning is remarkably still playing at the age of 39, after 18 legendary seasons.
“Manning is obviously among the greatest in the history of football. He has accomplished so much during his career, from records to wins he has dominated every facet of the game” said senior Blake Edwards.
He has five Most Valuable Player awards, the most passing yards and passing touchdowns in a single season and in a career and maybe the biggest accomplishment of all: becoming the oldest quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl. Officially, he has not made a decision yet on whether or not to continue his playing career; however, after injuries plagued him for most of this season, many think that one of the greatest players to ever step on the gridiron will retire this offseason.
This past season was not an easy one for number eighteen. After an injury to Manning derailed the Broncos postseason aspirations in the 2014-2015 season, he failed to improve at the start of this season. Although he broke Brett Favre’s record for most all time passing yards during week 10, he partially tore his plantar fascia and would sit for several weeks. Then, Manning did something that no one thought he could do: he returned in the second half of a week 17 matchup vs the Chargers and led a game winning comeback, helping the Broncos clinch home field advantage during the playoffs. He then helped his team to wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots before finally beating the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50.
“Peyton was able to turn it around because he has the advantage of experience and mental maturity. He managed to respond to the adversity because of his tough, competitive mentality,” said junior Kiely Westhoff.
This resiliency he showed to battle back from injury and take his team to football’s biggest stage, all at the age of 39 is one of the most remarkable accomplishments of Manning’s storied career. If he does decide to retire, he will go out just like fellow Broncos great, John Elway, as a champion.
In his quest for a second ring, it was only fate that Manning would play Tom Brady and the Patriots in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game. Throughout their respective careers, they have been viewed as rivals, playing each other a total of seventeen times in the regular season and the playoffs. All of these matchups have also created a debate as to who has had the better career.
“I think the Manning vs. Brady is an interesting conversation, mostly because they are so different. Manning has been destined for greatness from the beginning, while Brady wasn’t expected to achieve much. Manning currently holds most of the regular season records, so he has his place. Brady exceeds him in postseason performance–four titles and most wins are hard to compete against,” said Edwards.
Much maligned throughout his career for not being clutch in the playoffs and losing a majority of head to head matchups versus Brady, it is worth noting that with this year’s AFC Championship Game win, Manning has now won three straight playoff games against the Patriots and Brady. While Brady does have two more Super Bowls than Manning, Manning holds most regular season passing records as well as 200 career wins, the most ever by a quarterback.
“I don’t think that he could be singled out as the best in history since there are so many elements that go into being a quarterback, but Peyton has been very successful in his career,” said Westhoff.
A living legend and future Hall of Famer, Manning has changed the quarterback position in the NFL. Thought of as one of the best play callers ever, Manning knows how to read the defensive setup at the line of scrimmage, calling audibles and adjusting the play to beat even the best defenses.
“He made the game so mental that film became more than half of the game for quarterbacks. He obviously set the bar very high for quarterback play for the next fifteen years and beyond. I think going forward, he has led the NFL in a new direction as far as the mental preparation goes,” said Edwards.
Who knows if this is the last time that fans will see Manning on the sidelines. However, no one understands the game mentally better than him and it would be no surprise to see him to continue to have an impact on the league even after retiring. Players like Elway have become Hall of Famers by playing, only to successfully transfer over to NFL management.
“I could see Peyton becoming an NFL analyst or broadcaster, as well as getting a big role such as GM [general manager] for a team” said junior Noah Tanenbaum.
His entire career, Manning simply made the players around him better no matter what team he was given. After missing the entire 2011 season after having neck surgery, he moved on from the Colts to the Broncos and defied the odds to have two of the best seasons of his career from 2012-13. Manning is the definition of a true competitor, by giving his all every game and doing everything he could to help his team win every week. After one of the toughest seasons of his career, it felt like destiny for Manning to finally win his second Super Bowl ring in what was probably his last game as a professional. Whether or not he decides to officially retire in the coming weeks, Manning will not just be remembered as a legendary quarterback, but also as a champion.
