When Peyton Manning takes his first snap on Feb. 7, he will set the record for the oldest quarterback to ever start in a Super Bowl. Manning will be 39 at the time of the game, one year older than John Elway when he played on the game’s largest stage at age 38. Manning will no doubt try to copy Elway by leading the Denver Broncos to a victory just as Elway did in 1999, but he should also take one more page from the Elway playbook. Peyton Manning should retire, even if the Broncos lose on Super Bowl Sunday.
Growing up in rural South Carolina in the days before fantasy football, my family cared little about the NFL, some about the Carolina Panthers (only because they were the closest team to us geographically), and lots about the SEC. Going to every South Carolina Gamecocks home game, we did not have enough left in the tank to bother with football on Sundays. However, like many southerners who still believe that Saturday reigns supreme in terms of football, we had two rules about the NFL: 1. Always cheer for the Manning brothers, and 2. Never pull for the Patriots.
Ah, the Mannings. Peyton in particular was the embodiment of the SEC. A good southern boy who played at Tennessee, came from a good family and by all accounts was the consummate professional. He outworked every player in the league, he was arguably the best sports-related host ever on Saturday Night Live and he had the best commercials (I guess that last one has not really changed). I grew up watching Tony Dungy’s defenses run the Tampa 2, Peyton slinging the ball all around the yard to greats like Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but also countless other receivers who would never pan out on any other team and were only successful because of #18 behind the center.
This past season caused nearly as much pain for Peyton lovers as did the season when he sat out after having neck surgery, uncertain whether he would ever play again, and watched helplessly as his team, the Indianapolis Colts, cut him and moved in a new direction at the quarterback position. In the regular season Peyton only played in 10 of 16 games and was even benched for Brock Osweiler. Manning threw nearly double the amount of interceptions (17) as he did touchdowns (9), and did not throw a touchdown at his home stadium until his team’s second game of the playoffs this past weekend. He looked his age, hobbling after nearly every hit and rarely pushing the ball deep downfield in the vertical passing game.
Manning is still “The Sheriff." He can still outsmart most defenses in the league and yell “Omaha” 100 times a game, but his body can no longer keep up with his mind. He is a shell of the Hall of Fame quarterback he once was. I do not deny that he could play next year and still win a few games. Give one of the best quarterbacks of all time the best defense in the league and a decent running game, and he can still be successful. He has proven that he can still win the ones that matter most during the Bronco’s two-game playoff run. Heck, I bet even Brett Favre can unretire again and lead his team to a better season than half the quarterbacks in the league next year, but that does not mean he should (Favre has said in an NFL GameDay interview that he hopes Manning retires before breaking his records).
With health concerns at an all-time high for NFL players and star players retiring in the middle of their careers (Marshawn Lynch might be the next to do that), it is never too early to consider retirement. I do not want to watch Peyton Manning limp through another year. He has always been an ambassador for the game, and ten years from now, it would be heartbreaking to hear of Manning being in poor health or struggling to get out of bed as is so often the case with former players. Peyton, I love you. My mother and sister love you. Football fans everywhere love you. We are worried about you. It’s time to hang up your cleats and put on your gold jacket as you end your Hall of Fame career.