2/4/2016; Why Super Bowl 50 will be Peyton Mannings final game

On ESPN’s sportsnation poll, America was asked whether or not they believe Peyton Manning will retire following this Sundays Super Bowl. At the ripe old quarterback age of 38, Manning has already secured his legacy as one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time, but as we have seen in the past, the fame and glory that comes along with the position can sometimes make it difficult to hang up the cleats. With nearly four thousand votes cast throughout the 50 states, a whopping 88% of those believe this will in fact be Manning’s last game in the NFL. This overwhelming majority opinion comes in the wake of Manning’s post AFC-Championship comment to long-time opponent Bill Belichick, where he told the accomplished coach that “this might be my last rodeo.” During this week’s Super Bowl media coverage, Manning has refuted these comments to some degree, saying that he still hasn’t made a decision yet, but the jury is still out. Personally, I believe this will be Manning’s last season whether he wins or loses. Many great professional athletes go their entire careers without playing in a championship game, and to be able to go out with a Super Bowl appearance in the final game of his career would only add to his legacy. I think the reason so many people believe this will be Manning’s final season is because, despite a run through the playoffs, Manning looked old and rusty many times throughout the season, and has battled several nagging injuries over the course of the past couple seasons. Whenever Manning does ultimately decide to retire, the NFL will miss this legend and future Hall of Famer for both his on and off field professionalism.




http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls