Peyton Manning officially decided to ride off into the sunset, informing the Denver Broncos on Sunday that he will retire.
The announcement came four weeks to the day after winning the second Super Bowl title of his 18-year NFL career, and will clear $19 million in salary cap room for the Broncos. Manning spent the past four seasons with Denver after 14 with the Indianapolis Colts, and is almost certain to inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in five years.
“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,” John Elway, Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager, said in a statement.
“Peyton was everything that we thought he was and even more-not only for the football team but in the community. I’m very thankful Peyton chose to play for the Denver Broncos, and I congratulate him on his Hall of Fame career.”
Elway, who also retired as a player after winning his second Super Bowl, had said Manning earned the right to delay his decision and enjoy the Super Bowl 50 victory. However, with the new league year set to begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the clock was ticking on the Broncos receiving an answer from Manning, as reports swirled that he may have been interested in playing at least one more season, even if it meant doing so with another team.
With Manning’s retirement, the Broncos reportedly have offered backup quarterback Brock Osweiler a three-year contract worth more than $45 million. Unless the sides reach a new deal, Osweiler will become a free agent Wednesday.
Osweiler, 25, showed promise in eight appearances last season, throwing for 1,967 yards while completing 61.8 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns against six interceptions. He went 5-2 as a starter after a left foot injury forced Manning to the bench.
Manning relieved an ineffective Osweiler in the regular-season finale, regained the starting job for the playoffs and helped lead the Broncos to their Super Bowl 50 triumph.
Manning turns 40 on March 24 and will retire as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (539), passing yards (71,940) and quarterback regular-season wins (186, tied with Brett Favre).
Manning battled injuries and missed six games in 2015 after also encountering health issues late in the 2014 regular season.
Manning, along with Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis, Elway and head coach Gary Kubiak, will hold a news conference Monday at 1 p.m.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, in a post on his Facebook page, called it an honor to play against Manning and said his friend “changed the game forever.”
Manning, who joined the Broncos as a free agent on March 20, 2012 after spending the first 14 years of his NFL career with the Colts, is the only five-time Most Valuable Player in NFL history. No player in league history has earned more Pro Bowl appearances (14) than Manning, a 14-time team captain.
The NFL’s career leader in combined regular-season and playoff wins (200) by a starting quarterback, Manning is the only QB in league history to lead two teams to a Super Bowl victory. He quarterbacked the Broncos to a win in Super Bowl 50 to end the 2015 season, nine years after earning his first Lombardi Trophy with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI following the 2006 season.
During his four years in Denver, Manning helped the Broncos to the most wins (55) and highest winning percentage (.764) of any team in the NFL while becoming the first quarterback in team history to be part of four consecutive AFC West titles. No player threw more touchdowns (151) in the regular season/playoffs combined from 2012-2015 than Manning, who ranked third in the league in overall passer rating (99.6) as well as fourth in both overall passing yards (19,062) and completions (1,639) during that period.
In 2013, Manning posted the most prolific season of any quarterback in NFL history en route to earning his fifth MVP award and receiving Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year award. Manning, who helped the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance in 15 years, set NFL single-season records for touchdown passes (55) and passing yards (5,477) while leading the highest-scoring offense (606 points — 37.9 points per game) in NFL history.
Selected by the Colts with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft from the University of Tennessee, Manning earned 11 Pro Bowl selections in 14 years in Indianapolis while being named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s. He was named NFL MVP four times (2003-04, 2008-09) as a Colt and led the team to 11 playoff appearances, including nine consecutive postseason berths and 10-plus win seasons from 2002-2010.
In addition to his on-field contributions, Manning has been actively involved in the community throughout his playing career. His PeyBack Foundation, which was established in 1999 to promote the future success of disadvantaged youth, has provided more than $11 million in the states of Louisiana, Tennessee, Indiana and Colorado.
Manning is one of only eight players in NFL history to win all three of the league’s most prestigious community awards: the Byron “Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award (2004), the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award (2005) and the Bart Starr Award (2015).
“It was a blessing to coach Peyton Manning,” Kubiak said Sunday. “Nobody worked harder at the game and nobody prepared harder than Peyton. His preparation was the best I’ve ever seen with how he went about his business. There was nothing like his work habits. Each and every week, he did everything he could to get ready to play not only against the defense but even against the coordinator.”