Media reports over the past couple of weeks have speculated about Peyton Manning’s future with some saying he is set to hang them up and others saying that he was considering giving it another go in the league.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen – a very credible and reliable source – said early Sunday morning that it will all be over on Monday when Manning officially announces his retirement.
The Broncos then made it official later on Sunday morning, confirming that Manning has informed the team that he will retire.
“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 GM 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. There’s no question that his work ethic is what made him into one of the great quarterbacks of all time. All the film study Peyton did and the process that he went through with game planning and understanding what the other teams did was second-to-none.
“Peyton was a player that guys wanted to play with. That made us better as a team, and I’m thrilled that we were able to win a championship in his final year. Peyton won a lot of awards and set a lot of records, but to me, what he helped our team accomplish during the last four years is what stands out the most. I’m very thankful Peyton chose to play for the Denver Broncos, and I congratulate him on his Hall of Fame career.”
Manning, who played for the Vols from 1994-97, will depart the NFL as the all-time leader in passing touchdowns, yards, wins and is the only quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different teams as a starter.
