Peyton Manning’s Legacy, Records, and Career Notables

Peyton Manning will leave the NFL as the best of all time. Photo: AP

This is how it was supposed to be. This is how we all wanted it to end.

Peyton Manning finishing the final season of an illustrious career with a Lombardi trophy nestled under his arm, a Super Bowl ring slipped onto his finger, and (probably) an ice cold Budweiser in his hand.

Sure, it wasn’t pretty, but I don’t really care. I pulled for the Sheriff throughout the NFL playoffs. Once my team collapsed, it was a no-brainer for me. I rooted, and rooted hard, for Peyton Manning.

So his Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in the golden Super Bowl, Super Bowl 50, 24-10. Now, the debates are revamped on whether he is deserving of being named the best quarterback of all time.

To make things a little more pleasing to the eye, I’ve designed a handy-dandy chart below, to prove he is the best of all time.

*Assumed total that most everyone can agree upon

So then, it’s obvious that Peyton Manning’s numbers were astounding, as he accomplished all this in 18 seasons in the NFL. Manning also notched two Super Bowl championships in four tries.

Although Manning hasn’t been criticized very much, the biggest issue with the Tennessee product has been his poor performance in playoff games. Manning finishes at 14-13 against the best teams in the NFL. Cry me a river if you have a problem with that record.

In Super Bowls, Manning has a total 1,001 yards passing (250 yards per game), a 66% completion percentage, and 3 passing touchdowns compared to 5 interceptions. Sue the man for having two more turnovers than touchdowns, he still won two of four games against the best team in the NFC that season.

Manning also catches flack for his record against Tom Brady. Sure, Manning started 0-6 against Brady, but since his loss in the AFC Championship in 2005, Manning is 4-2, and never lost to Brady in the playoffs again.

For those who think championships are the end all be all, I guess Adam Vinatieri’s four Super Bowls are better than Peyton Manning’s two.

And if LeBron James can’t win a total of five NBA titles, he’ll be considered worse than Derek Fisher.

So, “Championships are more important than stats” people, your argument is officially #debunked.

Manning is clearly a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but how good is he really?

*Brace yourselves, bold prediction inbound*

Peyton Manning is the best NFL player of all time.

I said it. He is. No one dominates the record books as much as Manning. If Tom Brady can touch his records, I’ll open this discussion back up. Until then, Manning is the best NFL player of all time. He’s better than Montana, Brady, Marino, and Favre.

Manning has played against the best athletes ever. He’s faced the Polamalu’s, the John Lynch’s, and the Charles Woodson’s. You cannot argue that Johnny Unitas faced better athletes in his time than Manning has. He’s dealt with the hardest athletes, schemes, and coaches.

Even though he battled through those barriers, he still put up the best numbers of all time.

Remember as much of the games and his career you can, because you just witnessed the best NFL player of all time leave the game that has his name engraved in record books, and in the hearts of all fans that were graced to watch him in his prime.