(Opinion) It’s Time for Peyton Manning to Hang It Up

This will be a bitter pill for Broncos fans to swallow, but for the sake of his legacy, it's time for Peyton Manning to retire.

When Manning was lured to Denver by John Elway in the summer of 2011, nobody was sure how his surgically repaired neck would hold up.  The results were better than we expected.  In three record setting seasons at the helm, Manning led the Broncos to a 38-10 regular season record, including three consecutive division titles and an AFC Championship.  He may have fallen short of the ultimate goal, but it was a heckuva run.

But like all good things, it won't last forever.  Manning struggled to find his touch during the second half of the season and lacked the arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows. At some point, even the greatest players can't physically perform.

Of course, Broncos fans don't want Peyton to go.  Even when he's played poorly, he is still better than most other QB's in the game and his leadership on and off the field is unquestioned.  And with all due respect to Brock Osweiler, the franchise will be hard pressed to find a replacement.

But does the risk outweigh the reward?  Let's face it,  the Broncos are good, but they're not a championship team.  Seattle showed the rest of the league how to defend their short passing game in last year's Super Bowl and exposed a weakness that other teams were able to capitalize on this season. With the looming free agency of receiving threats Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Tight End Julius Thomas, Denver's offense isn't likely to add more weapons.  They will be lucky to keep the weapons they have.

Peyton Manning could come back for another season and the struggle to adapt to a more rushing oriented, ball control offense led by emerging Running Back C.J. Anderson.  And the Broncos might still have enough to hold off San Diego and Kansas City in the AFC West.  However, if a late season thigh energy was enough to throw Manning off his game down the stretch this season, imagine the toll another full another full season will take on his body.

I, for one, would hate to see Peyton Manning's final year end up like Brett Farve's.  That's why Peyton should retire now while he's still an elite, Pro Bowl caliber Quarterback.  The ending wasn't pretty, but it was fitting.  Peyton passed the torch to Andrew Luck.   It's not the fairy tale story we hoped for, but it sure beats the alternative, watching a battered Manning limp toward the finish line...or worse yet, being carted off the field after an injury.