Now that Peyton Manning has ridden off into the sunset and retired from the NFL after a magical, 18-season career, it’s time to figure out whether or not he’s the greatest quarterback of all time. With that in mind, here are five reasons why he simply isn’t.
5. 2-2 In His Four Super Bowl Appearances
Getty ImagesManning went 2-2 in his four Super Bowl appearances. Tom Brady is 4-2, and Joe Montana was 4-0. Thus, it's hard to make a valid argument where Super Bowls are concerned.
4. Offensive Scheme Masked His Lack Of Arm Strength
Getty ImagesManning spent many years in Indianapolis dinking and dunking up and down the field. Some of this was due to the fact that the Colts didn't have an adequate running game, which forced him to eat up clock with short passes. But much of it was due to his average arm strength. Manning accumulated an amazing amount of yardage, but never threw with tremendous authority.
3. Went Just 14-13 In 27 Career Playoff Games
Adam Hunger-USA TODAY SportsManning is undeniably the best regular season quarterback of all time. But when it came to the playoffs, he failed to get his team over the hump nearly as often as he was able to.
2. Joe Montana Was Simply Better
Getty ImagesMontana was nearly perfect throughout his postseason career, and his skillset was seemingly flawless. Manning's career pales in comparison to few, but it does pale to Montana's career, and could to Tom Brady's career by the time he retires.
1. Played In An Offensive Era
Getty ImagesManning currently holds almost every career quarterbacking record and deserves to be lauded for his achievements. However, he played in an incredibly different era than some of the greats of the past like Montana, and even some of the more recent legends like John Elway and Troy Aikman. Manning will hold a top-three spot for quite a long time, but he's not the greatest signal-caller in the history of football.
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