Make no mistake about it. Before the first bit of confetti fell, before the final whistle sounded, and before he celebrated with a loving smooch from Papa John himself, Peyton Manning may have already decided that Super Bowl 50 was his final game as an NFL quarterback.
Manning was asked multiple times if he was going to retire after the game ended, beginning with CBS’ Tracy Wolfson, but he didn’t officially tell her that he was retiring. Instead, just like your successful Super Bowl party, your love life and that scar on your forehead, it was all about the beer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Flv019EPM
Manning’s multiple mentions of beer, specifically Budweiser, after the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 by a score of 24-10 over the Carolina Panthers, was worth a cool $3.2 million in free advertising for the company and they didn’t pay a dime for it. Manning owns a stake in two Anheuser-Busch distributors in Louisiana and Peyton is nothing if not conscious of his advertising value. But more than just money, this was probably an acknowledgement that he would never suit up and play again, even if he didn’t say the words.
If Peyton Manning retires and makes the Hall of Fame, he'd be 9th player to win the Super Bowl in final career game. pic.twitter.com/eKLQl0AKAH
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 8, 2016
Why? Because the NFL bans active players from advertising alcoholic beverages. Peyton knows it. He got in trouble for it a few years ago after saying he wanted a Bud Light after a game. Manning knew what he was doing. And just so everyone would know, he did it more than once.
There’s no better time for Manning to step away and onto whatever next chapter his life takes him. More than maybe any other player in recent memory, it all stands before him. If Manning wants to coach, every team in the NFL and NCAA would hire him tomorrow. If he wants to do color, he’ll be a network’s No. 1 guy next season. If he wants a studio job, then Rodney Harrison will be filing for unemployment. If he wants to do nothing but drink Budweiser and eat Papa John’s pizza, he can do that too. He probably has a half billion dollars in the bank right now.
Is he the best quarterback ever? He’s in the conversation. He’s definitely one of the best ever and played in an era where he crossed paths with plenty of other guys on the list: Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Steve Young, Dan Marino and John Elway at the beginning of his career were replaced by Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Can Newton, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger in the middle and end of it. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and no quarterback has ever won more games (200), than Manning. He finally got over the hump with his playoff record (14-13), evened up his Super Bowl record (2-2) and took the postseason head-to-head advantage over Brady (3-2). He’s the only player to ever win a Super Bowl with two different teams. It’s time.
Peyton Manning becomes the 1st QB with 200 career wins as a starter, including playoffs. pic.twitter.com/OQueDJSeFf
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 8, 2016
If this is it, Manning finishes up with a 65.3 completion percentage, 71,940 yards passing, 539 touchdown passes, 251 interceptions and a career QB rating of 96.5.
So you can probably expect an announcement in about a week or so. Manning won’t do anything to overshadow his team and what they’ve accomplished. He certainly wouldn’t have been able to get this second Super Bowl title without them. If anyone knows what it’s like to have to carry an entire team on his back it’s Manning. This is the first year of his life he didn’t have to do it.
The Near-Perfect Run makes its curtain call
I did it. I’m all alone in NFL punditry this season, just one fluke Larry Fitzgerald Hall-of-Fame play away from perfection with my 10-1 playoff run in 2016.
My picking prowess had no peer in the postseason as I bested everyone on Showtime, CBS, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and whatever other prognosticator you could have happened upon. I was simply the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNU3aIJs88g
I even smoked everyone against the spread, finishing 8-3. My straight up season record ends at 151-116 and 127-140 against the spread. I was 33-17 in survivor pool picks until it made no more sense to make them.
The 2015-16 season is over and I’m a good 23 games under my career best in the picks, but it’s a solid season. One capped with a championship run in the playoffs. But unlike Manning, I won’t be calling it quits after this title. I’m coming back next season to begin the dynasty. Perfection… I’m coming for you again next year.
