Report: Peyton Manning to announce retirement on Monday

After much speculation, Peyton Manning will officially announce his retirement at a press conference on Monday.

Few players get to end their careers on their own terms, let alone just weeks after winning a championship, but Peyton Manning is going to do just that. After a week of “will he or won’t he” ESPN is reporting that Manning will officially retire on Monday.

March 7 is the same date that the Colts cut Manning to move the franchise in a different direction back in 2012. Now it will be the same date he retires from the NFL.

Manning will retire as the only player to win five MVP awards and holds the records for just about every passing stat in the NFL. He holds the passing touchdown record by a wide margin with 539, while also having thrown more touchdowns in a single season than any other player with 55. Even while playing for just half this season, Manning managed to set the all-time yardage record.

His teams have only missed the playoffs twice (he didn’t play in 2011) in his 17 year career and he’s played in more playoff games than anyone else. Manning will finish with two Super Bowl championships and a solid argument for the greatest quarterback of all time.

Manning’s legacy is almost impossible to measure, especially in the state of Indiana. Without him, there is a chance the Colts are no longer in Indianapolis. There would be no Lucas Oil Stadium and the city wouldn’t have hosted a Super Bowl. The state is littered with kids named “Peyton” and it is nearly impossible to find a high school football roster without one.

Manning was a special player and one that might never be duplicated. The NFL won’t quite be the same without 18 on the field.