There comes a time in every athlete’s career that they just don’t have “it” anymore. It is more than apparent that Peyton Manning reached that point in the 2015 NFL Season.
For the sake of both Manning and the rest of the NFL, it is time for the five-time Most Valuable Player to retire. His health and play are rapidly declining and his skills are no longer at an NFL level.
The main reason that Manning needs to retire is for the sake of his own health. Last August, Manning told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that he no longer has feeling in his fingertips. That, among a number of other health issues, including a lingering neck injury that forced him to miss the 2011 season, is his body telling him his time has come.
The second and still very important sign that it is time for Manning to go is that he is no longer is capable of playing at an NFL level. Per Pro Football Reference, Manning’s 67.9 passer rating in 2015 was tied for the worst in the NFL with journeyman quarterback Ryan Mallett. Manning didn’t even play well in the Super Bowl, accounting for the second-worst passer rating of a Super Bowl winning quarterback since 1999.
Despite missing almost seven games in the regular season, Manning finished second in the NFL in interceptions with 17, trailing Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles by a mere interception. The list of awful stats goes on and on for Manning.
Peyton Manning has nothing to gain by returning to the NFL for another season. He already has the NFL records for most career touchdowns, most career passing yards, most passing touchdowns in a single-season, most passing yards in a single season and most career MVPs among others.
Manning also has the opportunity to end his career with a Super Bowl victory, even if the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in spite of Manning. The only thing Manning can do by returning is make fans groan with his now-terrible play. People may have a harder time remembering the greatness that was Peyton Manning. Nobody wants to remember a hobbling Manning throwing lame duck passes to the other team. It isn’t fair to either Manning or the fans.
Manning is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, but even the best are winless against Father Time. Brett Favre learned the hard way in the last of his several comeback attempts, and partially hurt his legacy by being known for both his play and his lack of commitment to retirement. Fans should just want to know Manning by his tremendous play on the field.
It’s over, Peyton. Please leave the game while you are remembered as one of the top quarterbacks of all time. Please leave before you get so hurt that you cannot play with your kids. For the sake of your family, and football fans everywhere, please hang up the cleats and call it a career. The Hall of Fame is waiting.
Matt Barnthouse is a junior journalism major from Carmel, IN. A hardcore Bengals fan, one can find him in the fetal position annually following Wild Card weekend.
