Written by Jeff Legwold at ESPN.com
Peyton Manning’s Super Bowl 50 victory over the Carolina Panthers was indeed his last rodeo.
The five-time NFL MVP is retiring, the Denver Broncos announced Sunday. The team will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. ET Monday for Manning to discuss his stepping away from the game after 18 seasons and two Super Bowl victories.
“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,” Broncos executive vice president of football operations and general manager John Elway 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.”
Manning called the Broncos on Saturday night to inform them he would be retiring. The Monday news conference had been previously scheduled, but the Broncos didn’t know what Manning’s decision would be until he made the call.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen first reported Manning’s decision, which clears $19 million in cap room for the Broncos.
History will show the quarterback made four Super Bowl trips with two titles, set a mountain of records and earned a place on football’s Mount Rushmore. He will retire as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (539), passing yards (71,940) and quarterback wins (186, tied with Brett Favre).
Manning, who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, was a first-ballot Hall of Famer-in-waiting before spinal fusion surgery caused him to miss the 2011 season. He went to the Broncos as a free agent in 2012 and authored the most prolific season of any quarterback in history in 2013. The Broncos made two Super Bowl trips in Manning’s final three seasons. Manning also follows in the Elway’s footsteps, retiring as a Super Bowl winner.
To continue reading this article, click here.
