It's Time for Peyton Manning to Call It Quits

by Eric Fulton
Peyton Manning has been one of the greatest quarterbacks and greatest players in the history of the National Football League (NFL).  It is amazing to see what he has accomplished year in and year out for nearly two decades.

Though it has been nice to see him have a great second career in Denver, it seems that “Father Time,” something no athlete can beat regardless of how hard they try, has caught up to the great Peyton Manning.

The Broncos lost their second straight game last Sunday at home to the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the worst game in Manning’s career. He threw four interceptions. Then he was pulled in the second half by head coach Gary Kubiak in favor of backup quarterback Brock Osweiler. A typical Peyton Manning game would be throwing 40-50 passes, 300 yards per game and at least three touchdowns. Well, Peyton didn’t do any of that against the Chiefs. However, he did pass Brett Favre for the most passing yards in NFL history.  

So now that the Broncos have lost two in a row and have possibly decided to turn to their future in Osweiler, Peyton Manning may have to say to himself that it is time to call it a career. Peyton knows himself more than anyone else. I thought a little bit whether or not Manning would call it career regardless of what would happen to the Broncos this year.

When Peyton missed all of 2011 with a neck injury, most of us thought he would call it a career with the Indianapolis Colts. If you were to tell me, he would play somewhere else to finish his legendary career, I would have thought no way. The 2011 Colts finished 2-14, which gave them number one overall pick Andrew Luck. Luck got the keys to Indy’s offense.

Manning got a second chance in Denver. For three plus seasons, he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league, once again, guiding the Broncos to an AFC championship game and a Super Bowl appearance.  Maybe taking a season off to recover from injury was the best thing for him. But now, Manning is approaching 40 and it is just time to call it quits. Doing so would simply save him from the embarrassing QB he’s turned into in a quick fashion.

Whether fans like Peyton or not, you can’t deny anything that he has done over the course of his career. Multiple NFL MVPs, multiple Pro Bowls and every major passing record, which includes passing yards and touchdowns. He has done it all. Is he the best quarterback ever? Many would say no and that’s fair. However, you can give him credit for playing honest and becoming a true gentleman to the sport of football. Seems like there is not a whole lot of that these days.

It is time for Manning to go off into the sunset and enjoy life after football. We will see him a few years down the road in Canton for sure. But for now, he must turn the page and write a different story. All good things must come to an end. Thanks for the ride Peyton! 

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