Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Two years back, it looked like Peyton Manning might not ever play football again. But here we are ready to begin the 2013 season and the legendary quarterback is arguably as good as ever. It took four neck surgeries and a lot of hard work, but he’s back and ready to lead the Denver Broncos on a another Super Bowl journey. However, the elephant in the room is still undoubtedly his looming retirement. Even the greats can’t play forever.
Manning (37) recently talked about retirement with PFT’s Erik Kuselias:
“I want to play, Erik, as long as I’m still a productive player, as long as I can still help a team, and as long as I still enjoy it. I don’t think it’s about enjoying the games, it’s about do you enjoy practice? Do you enjoy meetings? I’ve heard guys that retire, they just say they dreaded going to meetings, they dreaded going to a walk-through… As long as I can still be effective, I’m going to keep playing.”
Broncos’ fans are surely breathing a sigh of relief after hearing those comments. But the question still remains – how many more years will he play?
Contractually, Manning is on the books for another three years beyond 2013. At the end of the 2016 season he would be 40-years old, and it’s really hard to imagine him playing beyond that point. But whether it’s only one or three more seasons, the NFL is going to take it.
Manning not only makes football fun to watch with his up-tempo style and on-the-fly play calling ability, but he’s also a great representative for the game off the field. Whether it’s charity events or television commercials, Peyton Manning is a guy the NFL can count on to represent its brand to the fullest.
You may not like it when your team has a date with him on Sunday, but Peyton Manning makes the game of football better.
Related:
Peyton Asks Broncos’ Fans to Be Quiet
Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter and Google
