It's Official: Broncos Quarterback Peyton Manning Retires

It's official, Manning is retiring. What an incredible career! And he only turns 40 this month, I wonder what he'll focus on next?

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning retires
Mike Klis, KUSA 6:41 AM. MST March 06, 201

Peyton Manning informed the Denver Broncos Saturday evening that he is retiring as a player following 18 NFL seasons. Manning spoke with Broncos chief executive officer Joe Ellis, general manager John Elway and head coach Gary Kubiak about his decision.

His retirement will spark discussion as to where Manning ranks among the all-time greats. Statistics state no one was better. He finished with the holy trinity of career records with 539 touchdown passes, 71,940 passing yards and exactly 200 wins, counting the postseason.

He fulfilled four seasons of that deal with Denver and earned every penny of the $77 million he received. In his four seasons with the Broncos, Manning posted records of 13-3, 13-3, 12-4 and 7-2 for a combined 45-12.

The Broncos won the AFC West Division and received first-round playoff byes all four seasons. They twice reached the Super Bowl – in 2013, when he shattered all of the NFL’s significant single-season passing records, and in his final season of 2015, when he played a secondary role to Denver’s defense that finished No. 1 in the league for the first time in franchise history, then battered the quarterback likes of Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, New England’s Tom Brady and Carolina’s Cam Newton in the postseason.

The No. 18 he wore with the Broncos will be re-retired. It had been retired since 1963 in honor of Frank Tripucka, the first quarterback in Broncos’ history. Tripucka, who died at 85 in 2013, had given his permission in 2012 for Manning to take his number.

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