Peyton Manning told Bill Belichick that Super Bowl 50 ‘might be my last rodeo’
The Sheriff is thinking about hanging ‘em up.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The rumors that Peyton Manning may retire following the Super Bowl have picked up. The future Hall of Famer has yet to say as much, at least not publicly. But after the Broncos knocked off the Patriots in Sunday's AFC Championship, Manning hinted to Bill Belichick that Super Bowl 50 against the Panthers could be his final game.
“Hey, listen, this might be my last rodeo,” Manning told the Patriots head coach after the game, according to Pro Football Talk. “So, it sure has been a pleasure.”
The audio was captured by NFL Network.
@NFLTotalAccess @MileHighReport @dmac1043 @TheBroncosWire @VicLombardi Video evidence pic.twitter.com/jBcOVtxIOJ
— ARD (@ARDFootball) January 26, 2016 Super Bowl 50 will put a bow on the 39-year-old Manning’s 18th season in the NFL. If he does retire, the five-time MVP will do so as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
This will be Manning’s fourth time playing in the Super Bowl. He’s won once.
This, season, however, was the worst of Manning's career. He threw just nine touchdowns compared to 17 interceptions and averaged just 6.8 yards per attempt, his lowest mark since his rookie year. He was benched during the Broncos' Week 10 loss to the Chiefs and missed the next seven weeks with a foot injury before replacing Brock Osweiler midway through Denver's Week 17 win over the Chargers.
Manning has completed just 55 percent of his passes and thrown for a total of 398 yards in two playoff games. But he also hasn’t thrown any picks during this postseason.
Manning would also be the second Hall of Fame quarterback to turn a Broncos Super Bowl berth into his final NFL game. John Elway, the current team president, walked away after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII.
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