As expected, Peyton Manning will follow the example set by his hero John Elway and retire on top.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen first reported the news on twitter. A news conference is scheduled for Monday.
The 39-year-old quarterback, a five-time winner of the league’s Most Valuable Player award, guided the Denver Broncos to victory in Super Bowl 50 last month when they beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10.
“When you look at everything Peyton has accomplished as a player and person, it’s easy to see how fortunate we’ve been to have him on our team,” Broncos executive vice-president of football operations and general manager John Elway told the team’s website on Monday.
Manning is coming off his worst season since his rookie year in 1998, but it was still a season which saw him lead the Denver Broncos to the franchise’s third Super Bowl title. It was his fourth Super Bowl appearance and second title during a 17-year career with the Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
He will retire on top just like Elway did after the 1998 season, when the quarterback beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII to give the Broncos their second straight Super Bowl win, their first titles in franchise history. Elway has been the general manager of the Broncos since 2011, and signed Manning from Indianapolis before the 2012 season.
“Peyton was everything that we thought he was and even more – not only for the football team but in the community,” Elway said.
“I’m very thankful Peyton chose to play for the Denver Broncos, and I congratulate him on his Hall of Fame career.”
Manning will retire as one of the game’s all-time greats and on top of many NFL passing categories. He holds the current records for MVP awards (five), 4,000-yard passing seasons (14), yards (71,940), touchdown passes (539), most wins by a quarterback (200, regular season and play-offs), and in 2013 set the single-season record for passing yards (5,477).
• With agencies
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