Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning didn't take the opportunity, after he and the Broncos - or, more accurately, the Broncos defense - powered their way to a victory in Super Bowl 50, to announce his retirement from the NFL, promptly wandering off into the sunset, Budweiser and Papa Johns pizza in hand. And while there's been plenty of speculation in the 48 hours or so since Manning said he was going to take some time, we still don't really know what the elder signal-callers plans are. Fortunately, we have Manning's teammate and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller here to help us.
"I don't think [Peyton] is going to retire," Miller told Ellen DeGeneres, while appearing on her show on Tuesday (Miller was at the Broncos parade on Tuesday, so the segment was probably taped Monday). "He still has the physical ability and the mental ability to go out there and be great. I think he still has a little bit left in him."
The Broncos could potentially lose both Manning and Miller this offseason. Miller is slated to become an unrestricted free agent and Manning, of course, is expected to pursue some kind of post-playing career work, whether that be hawking beers and pizza or wandering an NFL sideline as a coach or personnel man. But it's unfathomable that Broncos GM John Elway would let Miller walk away.
The Super Bowl MVP was in Carolina quarterback Cam Newton's lap all game, finishing with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, one that changed momentum early and one that put a nice cap on the game later. Miller is going to be paid handsomely very soon, almost assuredly by the Broncos.
Manning, on the other hand, is a two-time Super Bowl winner who had less to do with the Broncos emerging victorious than Papa John himself. Sure, Manning played smart, held onto the ball, made a few big throws when he needed to and basically kept the Denver offense from screwing up. But the notion that he's got anything left, physically speaking, is patently false.
Miller has an inside look at Manning's physical and mental state that the rest of us simply don't, so it would be neglectful to discount his words, but the idea of Manning coming back instead of taking the opportunity to walk away at the top of the sport doesn't just seem silly and ill-advised, it feels flat out wrong.
