“I love the game, so you don’t have to wonder if I will miss it”, Manning said in a nationally televised news conference at the Denver Broncos’ practice facility south of Denver.
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– Steak dinners at a place in Indianapolis after wins.
Even before Tom Brady took over for Drew Bledsoe, the Patriots had No. 18’s number.
Manning, who played his last four seasons with the Broncos, amassed a passel of records and was among the NFL’s most popular players.
He said: “I fought a good fight”.
Indeed, Manning choked up several times, especially when he listed all the things he’d miss about football, the flights home after a big win, his teammates. The legendary quarterback did his best to thank everyone that he’s come into contact with throughout his 18 years in the National Football League, not counting his time at the University of Tennessee. He became emotional when thanking his family and fans, stating “fans are at the core of what makes this game remarkable”.
“There will be no other Peyton Manning”, said Colts owner Jim Irsay, who wound up releasing Manning four years ago so Indianapolis could sign his young replacement, Andrew Luck. “God bless all of you and god bless football”. “Maybe I don’t throw as good as I used to or run as good as I used to, but I’ve got good timing”. The win gave Manning that elusive second Super Bowl win and cemented his legacy as one of the league’s all-time greats.
He also finished his career as the NFL’s leader in passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539). He appeared in just 10 regular-season games and posted career lows in passing yards, passer rating and touchdown passes, while his 17 interceptions were the third-most of his career.
“It is sad that some people don’t understand the truth and facts”. Perhaps even more important to Manning, he walked away a victor, helping his Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50 in February. “I’m not interested in re-litigating something that happened when I was 19”.
“Every year I pull for a rookie to break that record”, he said, noting that younger brother Eli might have done so had he started all 16 games his rookie year.
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“Peyton Manning revolutionized the game”, Broncos general manager and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway said. I took it as ‘I’m ready to play, coach.’ I texted him and said, ‘Hey the workout looked great today.
