Peyton Manning may have won a Super Bowl and has a solid chance to ride off into the sunset as a champion, but he may be looking for something else. Manning loves to play football and you would think if he were retiring he would just announce it and get it over with, especially for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos want the legendary quarterback to retire because he did not look that great throwing the ball last season and looks as if he is declining. They have a relatively new franchise quarterback in Brock Osweiler who could hit free agency and leave Denver forever. Manning is basically being forced into either retirement or being released, and that uncertainty is causing this delay.
The elder Manning brother would face an uncertain future as no team has really reached out to say they could use him. Most of the quarterback- starved NFL teams are drooling over 2016 NFL Draft prospects Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. Even Osweiler is one of the most coveted players of the 2016 free agent season. It has been speculated that the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers have been interested in landing Manning, however with all the options available most teams want a youthful quarterback they will be able to utilize for years to come, not an aging legend in his final season. Peyton realistically could wait out the summer months and see which teams will need a quarterback heading into September. Injuries do happen quite often in the NFL, so maybe he is just waiting for the right moment with the right team.
Still, it is somewhat unbelievable that after all the turmoil he has been through this season that Manning would still want to play football, especially for a less competitive team. Manning finding a way to keep playing football would sure be an interesting scenario, especially if he lands with a franchise that plays the Broncos in 2016. The good thing for Manning is his body has not yet rung the alarm bell and told him to stop playing altogether, and Tom Brady did just sign a 2-year extension so anything is possible. Peyton's biggest rival will be playing for another two seasons at the very least, so Manning could be looking forward to potential rematches down the road.
